Vanuatu’s opposition has moved to oust prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau, citing “foreign engagement” and the signing of a bilateral security agreement with Australia among its list of grievances.
A group led by former prime minister and opposition leader Bob Loughman, who himself drew criticism for signing agreements with China while in office, urged for the immediate election of a new prime minister in a motion of no confidence submitted to parliament last week.
Loughman claims in the document that the “independence and impartiality” of the Pacific nation is being “compromised” because of Kalsakau’s “foreign engagement” which includes a security deal he signed with Australia last December.
“Prime Minister Maau’koro [Kalsakau] without the authorisation from the Council of Ministers did proceed to execute the Security Pact with a development partner.”
The motion doesn’t name Australia but the deal struck between the two countries last year is the only security pact Kalsakau has signed during his term.
“The Hon Prime Minister and his Government must conduct its relations impartially and not allow our independent and sovereign nation to be sucked into a game it does not want and to be used inappropriately by competing nations to exert dominance in our region,” the motion stated.
Loughman declined to comment when approached by the Guardian. Debate over the motion of confidence is expected to take place on Thursday.
The move comes amid a wider struggle for influence between the US and its allies in the Pacific region. During a visit to Vanuatu last month, French president Emmanuel Macron denounced “new imperialism” in the Pacific.
In addition to foreign policy concerns, the motion listed a number of domestic issues, including a recent increase to Vanuatu’s minimum wage and a “labour and skill drain” caused by overseas worker programs. The motion also claimed that the Kalsakau government’s policies were “undermining public sector growth” and that the government had failed to deliver on its policy promises.
Responding to accusations in the motion that his foreign engagements were undermining Vanuatu’s impartiality, Kalsakau said he was “not perturbed by generalisations”.
The prime minister said he maintained confidence in his government, and that the move would not compromise the passage of the security pact with Australia, expected to be ratified by the end of the year.
The wide-ranging agreement establishes a number of coordinated activities between Vanuatu and Australia, including the exchange of police personnel, the provision of humanitarian assistance, and Australia’s “capacity building” of Vanuatu’s authorities to respond to transnational crimes.
This latest motion marks the second time this year Loughman has attempted to oust the government, in a country where no confidence votes are common. If the motion is successful, a new prime minister will be installed by a vote of lawmakers.
Jenny Ligo, chairwoman of the political advocacy group Vanuatu Women Against Crime and Corruption, said that the inability of Vanuatu politicians to serve a full term has severely weakened governance.
“One of my grave concerns is that I think there is a lot of uncertainty,” Ligo said.
“Vanuatu is in a great political crisis right now because we always have a coalition government, which many of us see as being not fair to anyone.”
Ligo was “surprised” to hear the government’s relationship with foreign countries had been criticised.
But she maintained that domestic policies, like a lack of gender equality in leadership and problems around wage growth, were the real issues driving the country.
“International development partners, if they really want to help Vanuatu, they should focus on the nation. They shouldn’t focus on these political issues.”
