Minister Pikioune readmitted to Nagriamel Movement

Member of Parliament for Santo and Minister of Finance and Economic Management, Gaetan Pikioune, has been admitted back into the Nagriamel Movement.

The Vemarana Nagriamel Original Movement Convention on May 10 and 11 resolved to readmit the Nagriamel MP after he was expelled from the party by the Nagriamel Upper Council of Chiefs (NUCC) of the Nagriamel Movement (NM) on April 9, 2018.

Th other resolution by the convention was for Pikioune to be Member of Parliament representing the Nagriamel Custom Movement in the Parliament of Vanuatu until the end of this 11th legislature.

A statement from the the Nagriamel Movement stated the convention found that Chief James Tangis, Chairman of the NUCC did not follow the customs and traditions of the Nagriamel Movement to expel MP Gaetan Pikioune from the Nagriamel Movement.

Following the convention, MP Pikioune performed a pig killing ceremony at the headquarters of the Nagriamel at Canal Fanafo and also the venue of the convention to seal the decision of the Convention for his return to the Movement.

The first convention of the Nagriamel Original Custom Movement in said to be after 38 years was attended by 44 custom chiefs of Santo, eight islands district chiefs residing in Santo and over 500 participants.

“The main purpose of the Convention was to revive the customs and traditions of Nagriamel, and to reinstalled the committees of the chiefs of the districts, to maintain the customs of the founders of Vemarana Nagriamel Custom Movement," a statement from the Movement says.

The spokesman of the Convention, Yankee Stevens, says the gathering was also an historical one in memory of the founders of the Movement to be held after the independence of the country.

MP Pikioune, closed the two-day Convention and thanked the chiefs of the Nagriamel Custom Movement for accepting his performing of the Navoda custom ceremony or pig-killing ceremony in recognition of the decisions of the Convention to accept him back into the Movement.