19 Feb 2011

Cabinet reshuffle as Vanuatu political crisis continues

1:10 pm on 19 February 2011

The Vanuatu prime minister has reshuffled his Cabinet, in the lead up to a Monday session of parliament that's been called to debate a motion of no-confidence.

On Friday an extraordinary session was adjourned due to the lack of a quorum but earlier in the week the opposition claimed it was backed by 34 of the 52 MPS.

Sato Kilman's made the former Minister of ni Vanuatu business, Ralph Regenvanu Minister of Lands and given the back bench MP Esmon Sae the ni Vanuatu business portfolio.

The former Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Marcellino Pipite's been transferred to head the Ministry of Education and the back bencher James Wango willl now head the Ministry of Agriculture.

Our correspondent in Port Vila reports the political jostling also took on a physical aspect, with the police called to extract the Vanuatu Republican Party MP Dominic Morin from a tustle between Government and opposition MPs, in which the two sides grabbed him by the arms.