Vanuatu's New Government Sworn In
After a series of legal
battles, Vanuatu finally has a new government. Last week, opposition leader
Edward Natapei was overwhelmingly voted in as the country's new Prime Minister
following an order from Acting Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, who requested
that Parliament convene to urgently resolve resolve Vanuatu's constitutional
impasse. A no confidence motion in Prime Minister Barak Sope was thus put to
the vote, which resulted in Sope storming out of Parliament. The new government has sworn
in 13 ministers, including new Deputy Prime Minister Serge Vohor, who was part
of the Sope administration until he defected to the opposition recently. New
faces include Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alain Mahe, and Finance Minister
Joe Carlo. The new administration has
pledged to continue the reform programme that was abandoned by the previous
government, Willie Oli being the minister put in charge of resurrecting the
programme, which includes the implementation of money-laundering reforms, the
establishment of a Financial Intelligence Unit, and major fiscal restructuring
to improve the country's parlous public finances. The government has also established
Vanuatu Business, which is to target new investments, whilst Daniel Bangtor
has been chosen to try and restore investor confidence. .
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