8 Jul 2013

Vanuatu PM accused in election petition

7:27 pm on 8 July 2013

Vanuatu's Supreme Court has started hearing an election dispute concerning Port Vila Constituency.

The hearing followed the petition submitted to the Supreme Court by the current Attorney General, Ishmael Kalsakau who unsuccessfully contested the general election on 30 October last year in Port Vila.

Mr Kalsakau says that he has the support of 44 witnesses that an unfair election was conducted in Port Vila.

"It concerns a lot of irregular practices conducted by the Electoral Commission"

that would suggest that the election was not run in a fair manner and that the questions the Electoral Commission's conduct of the said elections that were contrary to the representation of the People's Act.

Ishmael Kalsakau alleges that three government ministers, including prime minister Moana Carcasses, committed briberies in order to win the six Port Vila seats.