Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - State news station VBTC said that Vanuatu's president dissolved the country's parliament on Thur...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - State news station VBTC said that Vanuatu's president dissolved the country's parliament on Thursday, after some politicians tried to get rid of the prime minister.
When parliament met again, a group of lawmakers from Prime Minister Bob Loughman's party said they were working with the opposition to get rid of him. This meant that he was likely to face a "no-confidence" vote.
A copy of the notice showed that Vanuatu's president, Nikenike Vurobaravu, signed it on Thursday to end parliament on the same day.
Voting wasn't supposed to happen in Vanuatu until 2024.
In recent months, people have been unhappy about Loughman's failed attempt to change the constitution. Among other things, he wanted to change the length of time between elections from four to five years.
Ralph Regenavu, the leader of the opposition, told Reuters that the dissolution would be challenged in court and that most members of parliament were in favor of the plan to get rid of Loughman.
Regenavu said that 29 of the 51 lawmakers agreed with him.
He said that Loughman and his supporters didn't go to parliament on Tuesday so they could avoid the vote of no confidence.
Loughman told VBTC that he was acting prime minister and that he was happy with what the president had decided.
Reuters was not able to get in touch with Loughman's office right away.
This year, the Pacific has become the center of a growing geopolitical competition between China, the US, and its allies. China wants to increase its security and trade presence there.
