At least 27 Vanuatu Members of Parliament (MPs) signed a Calling for an Extraordinary Session of Parliament to debate a Motion of No Confidence against Prime Minister Bob Loughman.
The motion was signed in the presence of the Clerk of Parliament, Raymond Manuake, in accordance with the new Parliament Standing Orders.
These 27 MPs are representatives from different groupings in Parliament. Daily Post was informed the MPs are from all groupings in Parliament: the two parties in the Opposition, Reunification of Movement of Change (RMC), Vanua’aku Pati (VP), Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) and G10 bloc.
If registered by the Parliament, the Motion of No Trust in Prime Minister Loughman will be the first one to be deposited this year.
PM on an official trip to Saudi Arabia
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bob Loughman left the country on Friday on an official trip to Saudi Arabia. He is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade (MOFAICET), MP Marc Ati, and Minister of Public Works and Public Utilities (MIPU), MP Jay Ngwele.
The visit to Saudi Arabia is a response to the government of Saudi Arabia’s invitation for the Vanuatu government to meet and dialogue on mutual issues.
Public Relations Officer to Prime Minister’s Office, Fred Vurobaravu said during the visit, the two governments will sign the Bilateral and Diplomatic Relations between the two countries.
The dialogue will also incude the continuous rise in fuel price, to see if Saudi Arabia could assist Vanuatu on this.
During the absence of PM Loughman, Deputy Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau is Acting Prime Minister.
Minister of Climate Change, Silas Bule is Acting Minister of MOFAICET while the Minister of Finance is responsible for the portfolio of MIPU.