Vanautu’s Prime Minster Edward Natapei has been ousted from office after a successful no confidence motion last night.

Natapei has been replaced by his former Deputy Sato Kilman, with the vote following nearly a year of conflict in Vanuatu’s political scene.

Natapei has been at loggerheads with a number of Vanuatu’s MPs for the past year.

But he has also blocked Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama from taking on the rotating chair of the regional trade bloc, the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Political reporter with the Vanuatu Broadcasting Corporation Alain Simeon has told Radio Australia that many MPs hope the change will help improve the relationship between Vanuatu and Fiji.

He said we will see what developments come out of that when Kilman tries to mend the relationship with Commodore Bainimarama.

Natapei was out of the country when he was voted out of office, on his way to represent Vanuatu at the UN Climate Change Conference underway in Mexico.

It was confirmed that a reconciliation ceremony was planned for later this month in the Solomon Islands where Vanuatu was expected to hand over the MSG Chairmanship to the Solomons and Solomon Islands was expected to hand over the Chairmanship to Fiji.

Commodore Bainimarama had confirmed to Fijivilalge that Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola was supposed to attend the meeting.

It is not known whether this will now go ahead.

Commodore Bainimarama had already said to Fijivillage that the process in the Solomons was a face saving exercise for Natapei, as he should have handed over the MSG Chairmanship to Fiji.

The Prime Minister also alleged that Natapei was influenced by Australia to hold on to the MSG Chairmanship.

We will have more on this development later today.


Story by: Vijay Narayan