National Council of Chiefs

The Council, made up of chiefs elected from all districts of the country, are asking for the name to be officially changed to "Venia".

According to Vanuatu Daily Post, the Council says the name is the original native name of the island and that it should be restored.

The island was named "Espiritu Santo" by Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós when he visited the island in 1606.

The chairman of the Council, Chief Mol Torvaka Lima Tirsupe, say the national council has structures already in place.

The chairman says he is concerned that if the government goes ahead with the Area Councils, it may clash with traditional structures, especially with regards to land boundaries.

But a government official, Ben Tabi, has assured Chief Tirsupe that the Decentralisation Act states clearly the chiefs have an important role to play in the new initiative, including choosing the chairs of each Area Council.