Pentecost chiefs want government for 4 years

The chiefs and people of Pentecost are fed up with the continual changes in government seen in recent years and they want this government to last the full term of four years of this 11 Parliament of Vanuatu.

This position of the “Mariak”, “Tanmonok” and other high chiefs and people was put to Prime Minister Charlot Salwai when he and his delegation visited Central Pentecost last Saturday by Chief Mariak Vital Bulesanibo.

Mariak Bulesanibo appealed to Prime Minister Salwai to find ways through the electoral system to allow the people of the Republic of Vanuatu to exercise their rights at elections.

He took the opportunity to petition the government to look at providing water supplies for people of Pentecost still without a good water supply, and to build roads from Lekasubu to Lalwori and from Lebutsubutsuwet to Sardine Bay.

Chief Mariak Bulesanibo requested electricity for the communities of Melsisi and Ena. He asked that a doctor be posted at Melsisi mini hospital and for a nurse to be stationed at Tsingbwege dispenseri.

The Pentecost high chiefs also asked for a sports stadium to be built at Melsisi.

Chief Mariak Bulesanibo expressed the appreciation of the chiefs of Pentecost to the people of Vanuatu for their 42 members of Parliament who voted for one of their sons to become Prime Minister of Vanuatu.

For his part, the Prime Minister accepted the petition made by Chief Bulesanibo and assured the people of Pentecost that the government he led would last four years and its priority would be to make changes needed for Vanuatu to progress on.

He said the message from the recent snap election when two-thirds of the MPs in Parliament being new was that people wanted change. He added that the coalition government he led today consisted of a majority of 39 members and it was capable of making the changes needed.

Prime Minister Salwai said the political leaders have decided to unite to be able to make these changes and he challenged the chiefs also to unite to assist with these wishes of the people.

He said there was now unity at the national level and unity was needed too among the chiefs, the people and communities at the village level.