Joe Natuman

Natuman says his group can contest Vanuatu elections

In December, Joe Natuman and 23 other then-opposition MPs sought to overturn President Baldwin Lonsdale's decision to dissolve parliament, which was rejected by the Supreme Court.

Father Lonsdale called a snap election to end weeks of political deadlock following the jailing of 14 government MPs for corruption.

Natuman foresees a simple majority in the 11th Legislature

Natuman is one of the applicants in the dismissed urgent constitutional case on the dissolution of parliament

He told supporters and media outside the court house after the ruling that he was satisfied that they had the majority of members of parliament when President Baldwin Lonsdale opted to accept the advice of the Council of Ministers to dissolve parliament.

Kilman silence on West Papua noted in Vanuatu

Joe Natuman was replaced as prime minister by Sato Kilman in June this year following a motion of no-confidence against him.

Before that, Mr Natuman was instrumental in facilitating a major reunification summit for West Papuan representative groups who have since been admitted into the Melanesian Spearhead Group as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

However, Mr Kilman has taken a different approach on Papua and was inconspicuous on the issue when it featured at the recent Pacific Forum summit in Port Moresby.

Former Vanuatu PM denies interference claim

Police have launched an investigation into the former prime minister who is alleged to have obstructed police investigations into allegations of mutiny within the force in 2012.

The deputy prime minister, Moana Carcasses, filed a criminal complaint against Mr Natuman in December last year when Mr Carcasses was leader of the opposition.

This came after Mr Natuman, who was prime minister at the time, asked the police to stop the probe into the alleged mutiny against the former commissioner, Arthur Caulton.