30 Jun 2004

Vanuatu opposition says public angered at early poll call

2:48 pm on 30 June 2004

Vanuatu's Deputy Opposition leader, Barak Sope, says there is anger in the community that the Government called an early election, and many will lose their seats as a result.

The country goes to the polls next Tuesday - two years early.

Mr Sope says his Melanesian Progressive Party is stressing that the Government had no right to dissolve Parliament because it had lost the right to govern.

The Government faced a vote of no confidence with the Opposition saying it had 28 votes from the 52 MPs.

Mr Sope says the key requirement for the country is political stability and this is not achieved by calling early elections.

In the 2002 poll the Melanesian Progressive Party won three seats but Mr Sope claims they can win more than five this time.

He says his Party is working in concert with Serge Vohor's Union of Moderate Parties by encouraging people to support the UMP where the MPP doesn't have a candidate.

Mr Sope says they expect to topple the Natapei administration but any decision on who might lead the new Government would be determined by which of the Opposition parties won the most seats.