Vanuatu opposition plans legal action against govt

Transcript

The Vanuatu opposition says it is planning legal action against the government for electing a new parliament speaker who went on to rule out a planned no confidence motion.

The government on Tuesday voted to have the speaker, Philip Boedoro, suspended and replaced with Marcellino Pipite.

Mr Pipite's first action was to rule out the planned no confidence motion lodged by opposition leader Edward Natapei, which was expected to be heard this Thursday.

The Vanuatu's opposition's deputy leader Ham Lini spoke to Mary Baines.

HAM LINI: They had the numbers, and then they voted the speaker out, and they voted the new speaker in.

MARY BAINES: And now your motion that was going to be heard on Thursday has now been thrown out?

HL: Yes. That's what the present speaker has done yesterday but at the moment we are with a lawyer to seek his help for a case to put against the speaker's decision.

MB: What's on the agenda with the lawyer, can you tell me more about that?

HL: Actually, we've had a similar situation in the past, that actually the speaker took the same decision as was done yesterday but in the end the court ruled it was against members' privileges, so we believe that this will be the same thing that will happen. The only thing we are worrying about at this time to try and get the numbers, but we hope we can win the case when the court sits. The motion tomorrow is not in place anymore, but we will try and put it in the hands of the court, what the court will actually rule.

MB: So that might take quite a while though?

HL: Yeah. It could take a while, maybe next week or some time, depending on what the court says.

MB: So there won't be another motion of no confidence put forward in that time - you're waiting for the court?

HL: Yes that's right. We've had a similar case that happened in the past and we believe this might be the same.