The President, Baldwin Lonsdale, announced the dissolution and called a snap election last night, after the government and opposition failed to resolve a political impasse.
The opposition had argued against dissolution, which delays the passing of the budget at a time when the country is in the grip of a severe drought and still reeling from cyclone Pam in March.
The Australian National University's Siobhan McDonnell, who was an advisor to a former Vanuatu government, says the government is now in caretaker mode until an election sometime in the next two months.
