Charlot Salwai

Of the 12 ministers, 10 have already served under former prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau's government.

Among the new ministerial appointments are MP of Port Vila, Ralph Regenvanu as minister of climate change; MP of Luganville, Matai Seremaia as minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade Corporation and external trade; and MP of Ambae, John Still Tari Qetu as minister of health.

Prime Minister Salwai said he would appoint his new Deputy Prime Minister shortly.

The motion was carried by a show of hands, with 27 votes, in the absence of the government bench which had vacated the floor in protest ahead of the motion being moved.

Charlot Salwai was then nominated as the sole candidate for prime minister and was duly-elected by secret ballot with 29 votes in the absence again of the MPs on the other side of the house.

Salwai was previously prime minister from February 2016 up until the general election in 2020.

Mr Salwai lost his parliamentary seat for Pentecost at the start of the year after being given a two year suspended sentence for a perjury conviction.

However, the President of Vanuatu, Obed Moses Tallis, last week pardoned the convictions of Mr Salwai and two other former prime ministers, Joe Natuman, and Serge Vohor.

The pardons mean they are cleared to stand again for public office.

The Pentcost by-election is scheduled for October.

Mr Salwai's Reunification of Movement for Change party has six MPs in the 52-seat parliament.

The President exercised his powers under Article 38 of the Constitution and made the Order to pardon the conviction of Joe Natuman, Serge Vohor and Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas.

The Order is effective from 31 August, 2021.

Natuman was convicted for perverting the course of justice and given a two-year suspended sentence in 2018.

Vohor was convicted for corruption while Salwai was given a suspended jail sentence after being found guilty of perjury.

In July 2020, President Moses pardoned nine former members of parliament who were jailed on conspiracy charges.

The Appeal Court told him instead that his suspended two-year sentence was lenient.

Salwai was found guilty last December after being accused of misinforming the country in regard to the appointment of parliamentary secretaries in 2016.

The case followed a police complaint filed by the opposition leader at the time, Ishmael Kalsakau, in relation to proceedings related to the constitutionality of the creation of parliamentary secretary positions.

Salwai was handed a two year suspended sentence in February after he was convicted of perjury.

He is appealing against his conviction, which is being heard this week.

In rejecting the application, the judges said the case was important and needed to be heard.

Photo: Supplied Caption: Charlot Salwai with his legal counsel Daniel Yawah

Gracia Shadrak made the ruling this morning during the first extraordinary session of parliament.

He told parliament he hadn't received any letter from Salwai advising him he had appealed against a Supreme Court ruling.

Salwai was given a two years suspended sentence in February on a perjury conviction.

Parliament's standing orders say a convicted MP must notify the Speaker within 150 days if he has appealed.

Salwai, meanwhile, said he wrote to the Speaker on Friday informing him he was appealing the Court's decision.

Gracia Shadrak made the ruling this morning during the first extraordinary session of parliament.

He told parliament he hadn't received any letter from Salwai advising him he had appealed against a Supreme Court ruling.

Salwai was given a two years suspended sentence in February on a perjury conviction.

Parliament's standing orders say a convicted MP must notify the Speaker within 150 days if he has appealed.

Salwai, meanwhile, said he wrote to the Speaker on Friday informing him he was appealing the Court's decision.

Earlier this month Mr Salwai was given a two years and three months suspended sentence by Supreme Court judge, Andre Wiltens.

He has now submitted his appeal to Vanuatu Appeal Court.

The Appeal Court is the last avenue for Mr Salwai to maintain his seat in parliament as MP for Pentecost.

If the Court upholds the Supreme Court judgment, Mr Salwai will automatically lose his seat and there will be a by election in Pentecost constituency.

Salwai, along with former government ministers Matai Seremaiah and Jerome Ludvaune, and a former MP, Tom Kerr, had been charged with corruption and bribery.

The charges stemmed from a 2019 complaint by the current deputy prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau, who was Opposition Leader at the time.

Ishmael claimed that Salwai bribed two of the other MPs to withdraw their signatures from a motion of no confidence against him.

In December, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no case.