PRIME MINISTER CHARLOT SALWAI TABIMASMAS DEFEATS MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE

In the Vanuatu Parliament Session this afternoon, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas and his government easily defeated the motion of no-confidence lodge against the Prime Minister by the Opposition.

The motion tabled this afternoon during the prescribed time, he Leader of Opposition Ishmael Kalsakau, MP tabled the motion on the floor of Parliament and stated the reasons for the motion.

The Prime Minister did not respond however the Deputy Prime Minister Bob Loughman responded on his behalf stating in his response that the reasons put forward for the motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister were not heavy enough to warrant the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas.

He stated that in his 10 year career as an Mp, there had never been a government who had implemented projects and development initiatives in a manner as had happened under the government of Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas. He cited examples in agriculture and roads development.

The examples he cited were progressive ministries for which the ministers who had initiated and implemented the developments being Hon Jotham Napat, MP in Infrastructure & Public Utilities and Honorable Matai Seremaiah, Mp in Agriculture & Biodiversity were recently reshuffled thus moving their bloc of Mps to the Opposition which also contributed to the increase in numbers of the Opposition bloc.

It remains to be seen how the new ministers appointed will perform in the ministries as though they have been ministers under previous governments and their performances in their past terms as ministers have not been outstanding as those they have just replaced.

On the floor of Parliament, backbencher Mps on the government side who had signed the motion withdrew their signatures thus pledging their support for Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas.

The resultant vote on the floor of Parliament was 19 votes in favor of the motion and 30 votes against plus one abstention.

There has been a suggestion that some signatures of Mps were forged for this motion and that when Mps signed, some also signed an attestation waiving their rights from prosecution if they reneged on their agreement with the Opposition and align themselves with the government.

It has been suggested that the Opposition will be lodging cases to the court on some issues that have arisen as a result of this motion and so whilst the motion may have been defeated, the issues that have arisen may lead to further episodes of this continuing saga.

China halts work of He Jiankui who created the world’s first genetically edited babies. To know more chinadailynetwork.com