21 Nov 2017

Vanuatu parliament adjourned amid opposition boycott

12:24 pm on 21 November 2017
A statue at the entrance to Vanuatu's parliament in the capital, Port Vila.

The entrance to Vanuatu's parliament in Port Vila. Photo: RNZI / Jamie Tahana

Vanuatu's parliament has been adjourned for three days after the opposition boycotted a sitting on Monday morning.

The speaker, Esmon Simon, said there were only 31 government MPs in the chamber on Monday.

The deputy prime minister, Ham Lini, was also absent -- still in Germany for international climate talks.

Mr Simon said if the opposition remained absent after the three-day break, then parliament would sit with a simple majority and pass the bills before it.

The opposition has not given any reasons for its boycott.