Vanuatu's MPs will vote again for a new president after two rounds on Thursday failed to pick a winner.
None of 13 short-listed candidates managed to get the required quorum of 38 of the 58 members of the Electoral College.
After two rounds, Vanuatu's ambassador to Fiji, Nikenike Vurobaravu was in the lead with 29 votes.
The former ambassador to China, Willie Jimmy Tapangararua, was next but well behind with a handful of votes and all other candidates gained no more than two votes.
Obed Moses Tallis has recently completed his term as president.
An MP from the government side told local media the government caucus was divided because nine members of the Reunification Movement of Change (RMC) for former Prime Minister Charlot Salwai didn't turn up.
The MP said Prime Minister Bob Loughman needs RMC in order to get Vurobaravu elected.
The members of the Electoral College is composed by 52 members of the parliament and the presidents of the six provincial governments.
Following the lack of the required quorum yesterday, the presiding officer Chief Justice Vincent Lunabeck, summoned the Electoral College to meet for the third round of the presidential election at 9am Friday local time.
A government backbencher told the Daily Post that if Loughman's Vanuaku Party wants its candidate elected, the party must clean its own kitchen first.
He said the wounds of the termination of MP Edward Nalial as Lands Minister and the termination of Anatole Hymack as leader of government business still linger.
Another concern raised in the parliament corridors yesterday was that the Vanuaku Party already holds the role of Prime Minister and the position of Head of State should be given to another party in the ruling coalition.