Four prominent leaders of Vanuatu’s Union of Moderate Parties executive, who were elected on Thursday, 19 May have reportedly been sacked from the party by the rival group, as the battle between the two UMP national executives continues.
Four separate standard letters were written on Wednesday 25 May 2016 addressed to Mr Jacque Nauka Meriango, Steven Sau, Joshua Bong and Ulrich Sumpto alleging they have breached the party constitution and have been acting outside the party interests, and therefore, are terminated permanently.
The letters were signed by Victer Rialuth Serge Vohor, as president of his UMP grouping and stamped with UMP’s official seal.
The action was based on a decision by the Vohor camp at the 25th congress on 20 May at Lycee Lab that the four members receive permanent expulsion from UMP for what they called “their continuous action to divide the unity of the party in recent months before and after the last national snap election contrary to the party interest, breach of party constitution, non-compliance with party policies and ideologies”.
According to each letter, the recipients will no longer be a member, represent and use for political purposes the name “Union of Moderate Parties”, adding that this is because “they are no longer members of the Union of Moderate Parties”.
“You may be reinstated pursuant to Article 143 of the UMP constitution with consultation from your respective region and area”, the letter said.
The letter concluded “your membership and reinstatement can only be validated by a national congress of the Union of Moderate Parties sitting after the 20 May congress”.
Commentary from the Vohor UMP camp through social media has indicated that additional letters were sent to five UMP MPs who have sided with the Meriango group to indicate their loyalty prior to the next parliament sitting.
Meanwhile, a relaxed president of the other UMP camp, Meriango has resisted the allegations levelled against him and his other leaders by denying any form of breaches as claimed by his opponents.
“I currently command five of the 6 elected UMP members”, he affirmed.
Meriango confirmed the congress at Lycee had elected his executive in accordance with the party constitution and that the 25th UMP congress had designed resolutions to foster unity of the party and expansion of membership by way of welcoming any member of the UMP who had been forced out of the party system as a result of inflicting decisions of the court.
Pic: Serge Vohor (left) and Jacques Nauka Meriango (right)