15 Dec 2010

Vanuatu motion to be refiled after speaker's rejection

5:28 pm on 15 December 2010

The speaker of the Vanuatu parliament, Maxime Carlot Korman, says the no confidence motion against the prime minister, Sato Kilman, is not in order.

Mr Carlot says he made the decision after receiving legal advice about a request of the opposition leader, Edward Natapei, and his deputy, Serge Vohor, for an extra-ordinary session next Tuesday to debate the motion.

He says the motion's timing is wrong because parliament will be in recess start from December the 20th.

Mr Carlot says furthermore, two assembly members have withdrawn their support for the motion.

But the two - David Ariasu and James Wango from Ambae - now say Mr Carlot has lied to the people of Vanuatu.

They claim they never withdrew their signatures from the motion, accusing the government of falsifying their signatures.

Meanwhile, Mr Natapei says they will file a new motion and a constitutional petition in Court in response to Mr Carlot's moves.