10 Jun 2002

Vanuatu Ombudsman says he should administer annual leaders returns

3:39 pm on 10 June 2002

The ombudsman in Vanuatu, Hannington Alatoa, has issued a report criticising the government administration and the Clerk of Parliament for failing to comply with the leadership code.

Mr Alatoa says the clerk, Lino Sacsac, did not gazette and publish the names of leaders who had submitted annual returns and those who had not, by the due date last year.

But he also found that the delay was due to a shortage of staff in the Parliamentary chambers and that there was no budget for administering annual returns.

The annual returns for 2001 were only published in May 2002.

Mr Alatoa recommended that the annual returns be administered by the leadership section of the Office of the Ombudsman and that the government allocate it a suitable budget.

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