21 Oct 2008

Marshalls opposition withdraws no confidence motion

4:17 pm on 21 October 2008

The opposition party in the Marshall Islands has withdrawn its motion of no confidence as the parliament was about to vote on it.

The legislature had been recalled after the opposition accused the government of Litokwa Tomeing of having damaged relations with the United States.

Hundreds of people were at the sitting at which the opposition party chairman Senator Ruben Zackhras said the United Democratic Party had decided to withdraw the motion.

Several ministers objected and called for the vote to be held.

The finance minister Jack Ading said the government had been forced to halt planned travel and to bring people back from

off-shore early for the vote, wasting time and money.

The speaker Jurelang Zedkaia has also chided the opposition for wasting the parliament's time.

It was only the third motion of no confidence filed in the Marshall Islands since 1979.