15 May 2004

Vanuatu opposition to appeal ruling on dissolution

9:59 am on 15 May 2004

The opposition in Vanuatu is to appeal a Supreme Court ruling that the acting president, Roger Abiut, was within his rights to order a dissolution of parliament.

The deputy leader of the Opposition, Barak Sope, says he'll be consulting the Opposition's lawyers on Monday.

Mr Sope says the appeal will probably be heard by the beginning of June.

He says the Opposition is confident of victory over Prime Minister Edward Natapei.

"We will win because I think there were a majority of members of parliament, including his own party, who have not supported him. Instead of taking a democratic decision, he decided to go and dissolve parliament. Because at the moment, he's sitting there, with a minority government, a caretaker government, which does not have the support of a majority."