There are more signs that Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Sato Kilman is consolidating support for a coalition government with a reported Memorandum of Understanding between ten parties.
The Daily Post reports that the parties include Mr Kilman's People's Progressive Party and the National United Party, both of which appear to have secured six of the 52 seats in parliament based on provisional results from last week's general election.
The other parties in the coalition are small, made up of no more than three MPs.
They include all but two of the ministers in the Kilman-led coalition government which ruled for most of the last two years.
The other main grouping trying to form a government is based around the Vanua'aku Pati, which has secured at least eight seats, the Union of Moderate Parties with six, and the Ground and Justice Party which has three.
However, the Electoral Commission says results being circulated are subject to change, pending the release of official results.
Several election petitions are being lodged amid allegations about election fraud, voter bribing and that some parties abused the proxy vote process to get MPs re-elected.
