Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
The First Political Advisor (PA) to the Vanuatu Prime Minister's Office Georgio Calo says the opposition's motion in the leadership of PM Ishmael Kalsakau is unwarranted.
Calo said Kalsakau has only been in his post for six months and to table a motion of no confidence against him now was not fair.
He said the PM needed to be given more time to prove that he could perform.
Kalsakau's government has had to pay millions of vatu for the wrongful terminations of the former civil servants, Calo said.
These included the director general of justice Dorosday Kenneth, former Public Service Commission chairman Martin Mahe and former Public Utilities Ministry director general Harrison Luen.
Calo said all three senior public servants were terminated under the leadership of the then PM Bob Loughman, now the opposition leader, who has tabled no confidence motion.
Loghman alleges the Kalsakau-led government of putting political pressures on state institutions as well as threatening, intimidating and targeting public officials.
Calo said the allegations did not hold water.
"There is no political influence in the government institution as claimed by Loughman and the opposition MPs," he told the Daily Post newspaper.
According to the newspaper, the First PA has criticised the reasons for the motion, saying the Prime Minister has not been given a fair chance to prove his leadership.
A Vanuatu government spokesperson told RNZ Pacific that the coalition government has the numbers to retain power in light of a motion of no confidence.
The motion is set to be debated in Parliament on Friday.