Vanuatu's first ordinary session of parliament for the year has begun in Port Vila this morning.
The session was delayed from its original schedule in March after the country was devastated by Cyclone Pam.
Johnny Blades reports that the opposition has lodged a motion of no-confidence against prime minister Joe Natuman.
A motion signed by 21 MPs was lodged with the speaker last week and is to be debated in the 52-seat parliament this Thursday. The signatures include those of two MPs who have since been appointed ministers. One of them, Luganville MP Kalfau Moli, is the new foreign minister, replacing Sato Kilman who was sacked by the prime minister after he indicated his support for the motion. It's understood that Mr Kilman is the opposition's candidate for alternative prime minister. It remains to be seen how three other government MPs linked to the motion will vote. But, having shored up its numbers with Mr Moli and new justice minister Osea Nevu coming across, the Natuman-led government is confident it has majority support.
Photo: RNZ / Walter Zweifel