parliament

Six of them are from the Reunification of Movements for Change (RMC), including Christophe Emelee, who was the deputy leader of the opposition until yesterday.

The president of RMC and former Prime Minister Charlot Salwai said the MPs were approached by the government to join them.

The defection means the Bob-Loughman-led coalition government now commands 37 MPs, out of 52.

The government now has a comfortable number of seats to pass the 2022 budget in this session, which requires a two-thirds vote.

The opposition is now reduced to 14 MPs.

The Government’s Public Relations Officer Fred Vurobaravu said the Government side has 28 MPs and is ready to defeat the motion of confidence against the Prime Minister.

Vurobaravu said 27 members of the Parliament were present today and they re-committed their support to the leadership of Prime Minister Loughman.

He released a photo in an attempt to verify support for the Prime Minister.

According to Vurobaravu, the Opposition does not have the numbers to pass the motion of no confidence.

Speaker of Parliament, Gracia Shadrack, told Members of Parliament in the Chamber that based on powers given to the Speaker under the Standing Order, he was adjourning the meeting to Wednesday .

The reason behind the adjournment was due to pending cases in Court that are related to the current political impasse that saw the Speaker announcing the seats of 19 MPs being vacant before the Supreme Court issued an Exparte Order for the MPs to return to parliament as the Court deals with their case and other issues at hand.

The government had filed a motion to have the speaker, Gracia Shadrack, removed; a feud which saw the MPs and Prime Minister Bob Loughman boycott parliament for three days last week.

Yesterday morning, Shadrack said their three days' absence meant their seats were now vacant, announcing the suspended MPs one-by-one during a dramatic session of parliament.

But MPs, including Prime Minister Bob Loughman, refused to leave their seats, with security guards called onto the floor of parliament as a shouting match developed.

It claimed that an afternoon court case it had sought, due to start at 3pm, precluded it from attending the parliament sitting.

The legal action is to try and force the Speaker, Gracia Shadrak, to allow a motion to have himself replaced as speaker.

The Bob Loughmann government wants Mr Shadrak gone after he allowed a vote of no confidence in the government, which he agreed to allow next Monday.

And Mr Shadrak says the motion for his removal can be heard at the same time.

Members of Parliament will debate three written motions and six Bills.

The Bills are the Bill for the Public Health (Amended); Bill for the Value Added Tax (Amended); Bill for the Tax Administration (Amended); Bill for the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions); Bill for the Citizenship (Amended) and Bill for Dangerous Drugs (Amended).

Following the March 2020 general election, 50 percent of the members in the 12th Legislature of the Republic of Vanuatu are newly elected MPs.

The induction programme is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and focuses on key areas such as professional development of MPs and staff, the improvement of Committees’ legislative and oversight work, and support to parliamentary outreach and citizen engagement roles.

The launch has been done in collaboration with the Right To Information (RTI) Unit under the Department of Strategic Policy, Planning and Aid Coordination (DSPPAC) at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Transparency International Vanuatu (TIV).

The informative A-3 size poster features entitlements and benefits of MPs prescribed under the Official Salaries Act (OSA) and the Members of Parliament (Expenses and Allowances) (Amendment) Act No 45 of 2017. The OSA provides 32 positions for MPs in the government, in the Speaker’s Office and in the Opposition’s Office and others.

She made the call amid criticism of foreign NGO's for their involvement in the 'Vot Woman' campaign, which is pushing for 50 percent of seats in Parliament to be reserved for women.

Reserved seats have existed on municipal councils for two terms and Mrs Malachi said critics should instead offer an alternative to potential women candidates.

She's teamed up with another former councillor, Marie Kalkoa, to support women running in the 2020 general election, in line with UN advice for the equal participation of women at politics.

Kanas died of a suspected heart attack at Vila Central Hospital Monday afternoon.

He was a Member of Parliament under the banner of the Leaders Party of Vanuatu in the 11th legislature.

Kanas was elected to Parliament in 2016 as an independent candidate then he joined the Leaders Party of Vanuatu (LPV) in 2017.

He was appointed Third Deputy Speaker until November 2018.

The Government has organized a State Funeral in honour of the late MP.

Photo supplied Caption: Vanuatu MP Jerry Kanas