Vanuatu lobbying on the home stretch

Transcript

Representatives of Vanuatu's leading political parties including Vanua'aku Pati, the Graon Mo Jastis Pati, the Union for Moderates, the National United Party and the Reunification of Movements for Change. Photo: Supplied

Lobbying in Vanuatu continues to intensify ahead of Thursday's parliament sitting which will see the establishment of a new government and the election of a new Prime Minister and speaker of the house.

The largest political camp led by members of the former opposition group remain favorites after securing the supporting signatures of 36 members in the 52 seat parliament last week.

But the chief administrator of the coalition's Vanua'aku party says the other camp led by the caretaker government is also claiming it will have the numbers come Thursday.

Robert Avio spoke with Koroi Hawkins.

ROBERT AVIO: We only have 13 ministers, plus the speaker of parliament makes it 14. But it is really difficult when you have 10 or 11 political parties coming together to form a government, it is quite difficult to satisfy all the parties. So the best thing to do is if every party is serious about establishing stability in government then we have to make a lot of sacrifices.

KOROI HAWKINS: Now you have the care-taker government bloc, you have the former opposition bloc but there is also, I understand, quite a lot of Union of Moderate Party MPs scattered across the Nagriamel, the Free Melanesians, the RMC parties. Is there a probability of there being a third probable government coalition?

RA: Yeah the majority of the Reunification of Moderates for Change, RMC and the Green Confederation and Nagriamel they have signed an agreement to work with the former opposition bloc. At the end of the day it is my belief that they will be more comfortable to work with the outgoing opposition bloc with the view to establish a stable government and to put in the required numbers to be able to amend sections of the constitutions to undertake the necessary political reforms that we intend to carry out.

KH: And can you just go through some a few of the major sections of the constitution that are being looked at, at the moment?

RA: At this stage it is not clear which particular sections we intend to make amendments. But I think the most obvious ones would be to reduce the number, reduce the possibility in terms of submitting motions of no confidence. I think that is one priority area where the current grouping led by the opposition MPs would be vying to undertake is to make amendments where maybe 18 months after a national election to prohibit MPs from submitting a motion of no confidence against an established government. That is an example and one which I believe would be a priority of this current government led by the opposition.