Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Renegade Vanuatu ministers sad indictment of political environment - Transparency

Posted at 07:12 on 21 September, 2012 UTC

The chair of Transparency Vanuatu says the inability of successive Prime Ministers to rein in corrupt ministers is a sad indictment of the country’s political environment.

The comment comes as the caretaker Lands Minister is accused of selling public land at discount rate to Lands Department Staff, and two cabinet colleagues are embroiled in a controversey over the sale of diplomatic passports.

Marie-Noelle Ferrieux Patterson says it’s a frustrating situation especially given that the election is a little over a month away.

“So the need for money for politicians is huge and the Prime Minister has not shown that he was able to control his cabinet in the last few years. The opposition is very quiet because what these ones are doing now, they were doing before, like the sale of passports, sale of (public) land - you know, it’s one after the other. So no one is really denouncing the other one, just waiting for their own turn to be in the seat.”