Vanuatu's Supreme Court has dismissed an urgent application filed by the Chargé d'Affaires of Vanuatu's embassy in China, who was hoping to contest next week's election.
Willie Toama submitted the urgent application after his name failed to make the Electoral Commission's official list of candidates in the southern constituency of Tanna.
The Electoral Commission told the court that it didn't declare Mr Toama eligible because his name was not on the electoral list.
But his lawyer, Les Napuati, said the Electoral Commission removed Mr Toama's name from the electoral list without notifying him while he was in China.
Before the court's decision, Mr Toama had hopes to contest under the colours of the Moderate Alliance party.