Vanuatu opposition MP says suspension will be unconstitutional

Transcript

An opposition MP in Vanuatu says if the government's move to get the opposition leader and 15 of his MPs suspended from Parliament is successful, then it will be unconstitutional and likely be challenged in court.

Prime Minister Joe Natuman deposited a motion with the speaker on Wednesday claiming that the opposition leader, Moana Carcasses, had offered 10,000 US dollars to any MP willing to pledge allegiance, which he said contravened the leadership code.

Willie Jimmy says the offer wasn't a bribe, but rather a community development loan -- although he's unsure whether it's above board or not.

He told Jamie Tahana that if the government thinks it's wrong, then it should take them to court.

WILLIE JIMMY: He was proposing a loan to all the members of parliament, including the government side. If anybody wanted to take the loan from his Green Confederation Party they...

JAMIE TAHANA: I'm sorry, but why would they need a loan?
 
WJ: Well, the one million vatu constituency allocation by parliament is not enough, it's not enough to service your people. To 52 Members of Parliament its not even enough to cover the... that's why in the budget they had to increase it to 2 million vatu this year, because us MPs have people coming to our doors 24 hours requesting this and requesting that.  

JT: Yeah, but you're suggesting that it's for 52 MPs, we have reports of Mr Carcasses saying that this was only offered to opposition MPs who would support him in his bid to take over.

WJ: When he made the public announcement about that he said that the loan is open. The loan to members, it's a community fund for community development projects -- that's what's in the contract. I went to a meeting and then I was told to read the contract and explain it to the members, so I read the contract and it was between Green Confederation and any member and the purpose was for the community development project.

JT: OK, and so for this offer for a loan to do community development projects, Joe Natuman and the government side want 16 of the opposition suspended?

WJ: Yes, yes, they want them suspended. Mr Natuman's government will be suspending 16 members of parliament as of Tuesday when the motion is dictated on the floor. I have heard that there are already disagreements among the government members; some will be voting abstention, some will be voting with the opposition to vote against the motions so we'll wait until we see what happens on Tuesday, but that type of action will totally be unconstitutional and I think that if the 16 members go to court, they will be returned to parliament no problem.

JT: Do you think the suspension will happen?

WJ: I'm almost 50:50 on that question, James. But it is likely to go through because I've known Mr Natuman for the rest of his time in parliament, and I was also in parliament with him and I've seen how he's acted to respond vigorously on a manner of things like that.

JT: He has a point, doesn't he? This deal with Mr Carcasses for the loans and stuff, it seems dodgy.

WJ: Well, if he has a point then only the court can say that a person is guilty. If he has a point, he goes to court, but he does not get rid of people from parliament. There's no rule in parliament that says 'when people do something wrong or whenever they do something wrong, you can suspend them.' If you have an allegation against somebody, the best place to resolve it is court. If it was bribery then he would be doing it privately between each other, but he announced it publicly and then he did it publicly in the public's knowledge, so how can we classify that as a bribery act?

JT: So this kind of thing is all above board and all legal?

WJ: I would say so.

JT: You would say so? So you're not certain?

WJ: I'm not certain.