The purported motion of no confidence in the leadership of Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has been neutralised for now after the two Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) Members of Parliament, Nako Natuman and Anatole Hymak, were removed from their ministerial portfolios of Agriculture and Education Monday.
UMP was the only major political party with MPs in both the Opposition bloc and Government after the National Referendum, with two holding ministerial portfolios and two others as government backbenchers.
Last night’s ministerial reshuffle saw Vanua’aku Pati (VP) MP for Santo Rural, Samson Samsen, replacing Hymak as Minister of Education, and Iauko Group (IG) MP for Tanna, Xavier Harry, replacing Natuman as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries, and Biosecurity.
Vanua’aku Pati’s Johnny Koanapo has been moved from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is now the new Minister of Finance.
While VP and IG gained an additional ministerial portfolio each last night, on Graon mo Jastis Pati (GJP) turf, there were leadership sacrifices as the President of GJP and Port Vila MP, Ralph Regenvanu, relinquished the Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation portfolio to fellow GJP MP for Ambrym and ex-Finance Minister, John Salong.
On the other hand, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and GJP MP for Tanna, Andrew Napuat, is now the new Minister of Internal Affairs.
If IG and VP had not remained solid and supported the motion that was brewing over the last few weeks, the motion would have been successful, PM Salwai would have been removed as Prime Minister, and a new government formed.
“The Prime Minister thanked the Presidents of both VP (Minister Bob Loughman) and IG (Minister Marc Ati) for their loyalty to the Salwai-led government,” the Public Relations Officer (PRO) to the PM, Hilaire Bule, told the Vanuatu Daily Post.
“He also thanked GJP President Regenvanu for his leadership and humility, stepping down as a minister while two other GJP MPs hold ministerial portfolios.”
This gesture of humility is something PM Salwai is familiar with as the President of the Reunification of Movement for Change (RMC). In a previous government, he chose not to hold any ministerial portfolio and had a younger RMC MP appointed as minister instead.
This leadership quality was also displayed by Leaders Party of Vanuatu (LPV) President, Tanna MP, Jotham Napat.
After the ministerial reshuffle last night, the government is claiming 31 MPs. PRO Bule said the political parties in the government will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the coming days to reinforce their commitment and continue working together.
On 20 June 2024, Speaker of Parliament Seoule Simeon made an announcement regarding the post-referendum impacts of Articles 17A and 17B of the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu.
Speaker Simeon pointed out that Article 17A legally came into force on 12 June 2024, thus he advised all Presidents of political parties to notify his office within seven days the number of MPs affiliated with their respective parties.
MPs not affiliated with a political party must comply with Article 17B of the Constitution within three months from 12 June, notifying the Office of the Speaker of their affiliation with a recognised political party in Parliament, accompanied by confirmation from the party’s President.
The three-month period ends on 12 September.
