Vanuatu's parliamentary speaker, Maxime Carlot Korman, has today suspended the minister of education, Marcelino Pepite, for two sessions.
Mr Carlot Korman ordered Mr Pepite to leave the parliamentary premises, accusing him of breaching standing orders in not declaring his political affiliation.
Mr Pepite was elected in 2008 as part of Mr Carlot Korman's Vanuatu Republican Party, but left last year to join the coalition government of Sato Kilman.
Mr Carlot Korman says all MPs have declared their affiliations, as he'd requested, except Mr Pepite.
He says if the minister has the right to discipline his teachers, he, as speaker can suspend him for breaching standing orders.
Mr Pepite has described Mr Carlot Korman's ruling as politically motivated.
