Vanuatu's troubled parliament is to meet on Friday but two key motions will not be on the agenda.
Vanuatu parliament Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
This after a Supreme Court stay on a ruling by Speaker, Gracia Shadrack, who declared the seats of 19 government MPs, including Prime Minister Bob Loughmann, were vacant.
Shadrack took this action after the government boycotted parliament and missed three consecutive sitting days.
That decision is to be ruled on by the Supreme Court but not before Monday when lawyers from both sides are to hold a conference on the issue.
An agreement has been reached for parliament to resume on Friday.
But a motion by the government to remove the Speaker, and the opposition's no confidence motion against the prime minister, are on hold.
Meanwhile Loughman called on the public to remain calm, as the relevant authorities dealt with the situation.
The prime minster said that only the court could remove a sitting member of parliament, not the Speaker of Parliament.
He also dismissed the opposition's claims that it has the numbers to win a confidence vote.