17 Dec 2015

Vanuatu appeal to clarify constitutional issues possible

4:10 pm on 17 December 2015

The 24 former Vanuatu MPs who unsuccessfully sought to overturn the president's decision to order new elections may still appeal.

But spokesman Ralph Regenvanu says they have no intention of trying to stop next month's election from going ahead.

Ralph Regenvanu

Ralph Regenvanu Photo: WikiCommons / Marke Lowen

On Wednesday, Justice Dudley Aru ruled that President Baldwin Lonsdale's decision last month was lawful and that the former MPs did not need to be consulted beforehand.

The judge gave the applicants 48 hours to appeal and Mr Regenvanu says while they will not take this up, they may seek to appeal later - to clarify constitutional issues rather than disrupt the poll.

"Now we have decided that we will not be contesting the fact that there will be an election, we will just, later on, contest some of the legal issues and if we win the appeal on some of those issues there will be no consequences from it, it will just be a precedent for the future."

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs