16 Apr 2012

Vanuatu President to resume duties soon

10:36 am on 16 April 2012

Vanuatu has been told that its ill President, Iolu Johnson Abil, should resume his duties soon.

He has not been seen in public for some time and has received medical treatment in Australia and at Port Vila Central Hospital.

When the latest session of Parliament was opened last week the acting president and the current Speaker, Dunstun Hilton, delivered Mr Abil's speech.

It included a call for ni-Vanuatu to eat more local food and for parents to encourage their children to eat more food from the family garden.

Mr Abil also suggested Vanuatu name 'a year of the garden', to encourage people to eat locally and plant more local produce.

Eighteen bills will be debated during this ordinary session.

Parliament has been adjourned until today to give MPs more time to read the bills.