Vanuatu Government

The Department of Agriculture has commissioned them to concentrate on farming potatoes, distributing six tons of potato seeds for use there.

Vanuatu's Daily Post newspaper reports that Tanna is the main supplier of potatoes in the country.

Potatoes and English cabbage were among the crops introduced by French farmers during the colonial era to communities on the volcanic island, which has rich highly fertile soils.

The Opposition accused the government of using the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries to prop up their support and effectively become a majority.

Opposition Leader Ishmael Kalsakau said it was against the spirit of the Constitution and against the rights of MPs.

He welcomed the latest ruling, calling it 'a victory for the people of Vanuatu.'

 The deputy prime minister Bob Loughman confirmed this on his return on Monday from a visit to Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

He said a group of potential investors from Laos will visit Vanuatu at the end of July for more discussions.

Mr Loughman said the capital of Port Vila and Luganville on Santo in the north would be excluded as locations for any new casino because there was a need to boost growth and jobs on other Vanuatu islands.

“We welcome this important decision”, said Minister of Lands Alfred Maoh.

“It that shows that the Court is prepared to remove the registration of leases over customary land that have not followed proper legal and administrative process. It is another decision which will help to clean up land leasing processes in Vanuatu and provides a legal path way for other custom owner groups who know that leases over their land also followed improper processes. ”

The court ruling was issued on 22 February 2019.

Ministers from the Leaders Party, Jotham Napat and Matai Seremaiah, were this week sacked from cabinet, apparently because of fears about the party's growing strength within the coalition.

While the Charlot Salwai-led government has faced ructions before, these removals are the highest-ranked scalps so far.

A Facebook messenger group chat, leaked to the Daily Post, showed a number of government MPs disgruntled with the Leaders Party.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reports the MV Kaona sank while in custody in Port Vila.

The ship has been partly submerged near Iririki Island Resort since 2013.

The court heard that the timber and cargo vessel was arrested by the country's patrol boat RVS Tukoro and detained in the harbour in 2013.

Justice Oliver Saksak ruled the port and harbour authorities had failed to keep the vessel safe from damage and loss.

The vote, which followed a motion tabled by the opposition, was defeated by 38 votes to 11 votes, with one abstention.

Earlier, justifying its motion, Vanuatu's opposition listed eight acts which it said had allowed the prime minister's office to be called into question.

It said proposed constitutional amendments were poorly considered and consulted.

It alleged that the government's endorsement of income tax and the PACER Plus trade agreement was also poorly consulted and threatened the livelihoods of ni-Vanuatu and the wider economy.

The opposition leader Ishmael Kalsakau lodged a motion of no confidence in the prime minister Charlot Salwai on Tuesday citing concerns about corruption and incompetence.

The government statement said as Mr Kalsakau deposited his motion, a meeting of the government side showed it still commanded a majority in the 52 seat parliament.

The statement said over the last three weeks the opposition had tried unsuccessfully to get government MPs to switch sides and mentioned allegations a government MP had even been lured with an air ticket.

Another reliable political source told the Daily Post that there has been an attempt by some political groupings over the past weeks to try and topple the Salwai Government, but lacked numbers from the Members of Parliament (MPs).

The political source said the political organisers of the motion attempted to have a motion against PM Salwai signed while the Prime Minister was attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but the political group came short of the numbers.

A highlight of this visit was a meeting with the Honorable Charlot Salwai, Prime Minister of Vanuatu and Honorable Jean Pierre Nirua, Minister for Education and Training and their senior officials at the Ramada Resort in Port Vila, on 22 August 2017.

On behalf of the Government of Vanuatu, Hon. Salwai welcomed the USP delegation, congratulating them for the successful management of USP and the good relationship between USP and Vanuatu.