Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Vanuatu PM has case to answer over pre-election debt

Posted at 22:50 on 31 January, 2013 UTC

Vanuatu’s Supreme Court is today expected to rule whether the prime minister Sato Kilman has lost his seat because of a private debt.

This follows an electoral challenge by an opposition MP Willie Jimmy who questioned why Mr Kilman was allowed to stand in last year’s election despite not clearing a 140,000 US dollar debt to government.

Other candidates were asked to settle public debts before they could contest the election.

Mr Jimmy says he wants to test the justice system to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.

If Mr Kilman loses his case, there will have to be a by-election