Caretaker Prime Minister Sato Kilman has appointed two new ministers to fill in the vacant portfolios of foreign affairs, and youth development and sports.
The Nagriamel former MP for Malo/Aore, Havo Moli has been awarded the senior portfolio of foreign affairs while his colleague former Nagriamel MP for Santo, Samson Samsen was appointed minister for youth development and sports.
The appointments were made prior to the dissolution of parliament by the Head of State, President Baldwin Lonsdale at 4.20pm yesterday.
The Nagriamel is regarded as the party holding the balance of power in this 10th legislature which came to its end yesterday.
During the course of this political impasse, the two Nagriamel MPs were being approached by opposition to switch alliance to qualify a simple majority to oust the Kilman administration but that attempt came to no avail.
While the duo had been part of the political movers defecting from one side to the other, their third colleague and party president, John Lum, had kept an intimate alliance with the current opposition bloc.
Yesterday’s appointment, although for a couple of months before general election, can be seen as a reward for Samsen Samson and Havo Moli’s faithful alliance to Prime Minister Sato Kilman during this difficult political turmoil.
Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Kilman has thanked the Head of State President Baldwin Lonsdale for his considered understanding of the difficult situation of Vanuatu and for resorting to the dissolution of parliament.
He described the dissolution as “timely”.
“It is not at all easy for the president to take such a bold decision but I belief he has done so only after careful consideration of Vanuatu’s current situation and through his wisdom he saw it necessary to allow the people to elect new representatives in the new parliament”, said caretaker PM Kilman.
Kilman also thanked all members of his Council of Ministers and all former MPs for the duties they has performed while serving in office.