Lobbying among Vanuatu's political parties to form a coalition government is in full swing even before official results are confirmed from Tuesday's general election.
However many voters remain unhappy that they were denied the chance to vote by electoral officials.
Johnny Blades reports from Port Vila:
"While a few vote counts have still not yet trickled in from remote polling stations, preliminary results are known in the majority of Vanuatu's electorates. The emerging picture of Vanuatu's parliament is very fragmented with up to seventeen political parties and four independents having secured a seat in the 52-member house. The horse-trading over the formation of government is expected to be intense. However, in Port Vila, a number of court challenges are being prepared over claims that the vote was rigged at certain points and that voters were bribed. Furthermore hundreds of voters in the capital and beyond say they were denied the chance by the Electoral Commission to have their electoral cards verified just ahead of voting. The Commission is accused of favouring supporters of certain political parties when it came to verifying their cards, enabling them to vote."
