Archive - Feb 8, 2012

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Sub-Committee on Legal and Institutional issues (SCLII) is meeting through this week starting on Monday 6 February to discuss important legal and institutional issues in particular the review of the Agreement Establishing the MSG.

Mr Esala Nayasi, new SCLII Chair and Director, Legal and Treaties Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Fiji welcomed participants from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the one-week meeting at the MSG Secretariat in Port Vila.

In a bid to cut down on ‘dead’ people voting and faulty processes in Proxy Voting Minister of Internal Affairs George Wells has vowed to restrict Proxy voting in Vanuatu.

“We encounter problems with Proxy votes in every elections,” said minister George Wells. “Sometimes dead people vote for one candidate and sometimes a person is voted (by Proxy) through faulty processes.

“For example in the last SANMA Provincial Council election between 200-300 proxies were cancelled. This indicates some candidates only get big numbers in elections because of false proxies.

As a milestone anniversary of Cyclone Uma arrives, the “old timer” broadcasters of Radio Vanuatu like to recall the sheer ghastliness of that night.
The most dispiriting aspect of Cyclone Uma for them was the failure of the reenforced roofing iron of Brodkas Haos to withstand the winds. Sheets of heavy corrugated iron were peeled back, or off, like you tear off the ring-pull top of a tin of sardines.

Cyclone Uma saw Radio Vanuatu’s darkest hour.

Chief David (Richard) Fundanumata is believed to be 60 years old and wants to return into the ring because he feels so energised and believes he can fight again.

At 38 Manuel is a former soccer star turned referee but now he wants to return to the field because he feels fit again. Pastor Johnny who is over 50 and has thrown away his walking stick because he believes he is healed.

The amazing testimonies go on and we have no space for them all. Each of them has been a member of the bHIP Global and they have been buying and drinking the company’s energy and health products.

A New Zealander accused of assaulting young boys from a village on Efate is expected to appear in Vanuatu Supreme Court today according to sources within the Vanuatu Police Force and Radio New Zealand International.

The accused identified as Aron Collins was arrested in November 2011 following complaints by the parents of nine young boys from a village on Efate and teachers from a school within the village for alleged indecent acts with the young boys reportedly aged around 12 years old.

Dear Editor,

With the many land cases pending before Courts, some back to 1980s awaiting the proper establishment of the land Tribunals, it is now becoming very doubtful if Tribunals will ever be set up.

The many cases involving lands on Efate especially the Port Vila urban which had been “acquired” by the government must be justified.
The question relating to the Port Vila lands which demanded justifiable answers are:

- Is it true that the government has acquired the Port Vila urban?
- If yes, how and why and by which Act?
- Which court that had identified the custom owners?

As educational institutions around the country begin their academic year, the destruction of Vila City College continues apace, taking all the books with it.
Whoever owns everything there now was certainly not bothered to keep even the many thousands of books. Nor had they thought others might like them? No.

They took the adequately protecting roof off the library so the heavy rains of recent days would really destroy the library’s contents quickly.
Who to blame?

Minister for Internal Affairs George Wells said it is not right for registered voters in New Caledonia to cast their votes in the Port Vila constituency.
“Port Vila is just a transit point for them,” said minister Wells.

“These people who reside in New Caledonia come from every single island in Vanuatu. When travelling from New Caledonia to Vanuatu they transit in Port Vila and from here travel by boat or plane to their home island and vice versa.