By Craig Skehan

Cover Stories

A LOOMING stalemate over the ap pointment in Vanuatu of a new head of state could be used to force early national elections, according to legal advice provided to opposition political parties.

And in any event, relative stability since 1991 elections has been eroded by recent defections from Prime Minister Carlot Korman’s ruling coalition.

The next poll is not due until late 1995.

However, opposition Vanua’aku Pati secretary general Sela Molisa says that in the interests of “stability”, the country can’t afford to wait that long. “We have a crisis coming up,” he said. Vanuatu’s politics were spotlighted in late August through premature reports that Maxime Carlot Korman’s ruling coalition had collapsed. In fact, Carlot Korman sur vived a spilt in his junior coaltion partner, former prime minister Walter Lini’s National United Party (NUP) retaining 24 seats in Vanuatu’s 46-seat parliament.

But the prime minister went from a position of seeming strength to one of inherent weakness. In early August, Lini demanded that Carlot Korman remove four NUP ministers who had become increasingly estranged from their own party. However, Korman only sacked one of them. Lini’s sister, Hilda (who was playing a negotiating role on behalf of her brother), and appointed NUP back bencher Robert Karie as agriculture minister.

Lini reportedly wanted to be deputy 3rime minister and minister for justice in i new line-up. When parliament esumed on August 23, Lini moved off he government bences with five NUP mlleagues, including Hilda and Karie. harlot Korman responded to a claim by -ini that he had been “provocative” •ver the reshuffle issue by stating that the >ulk of the provocation had come from he Lini camp.

With Lini’s group claiming a “centrist’ ole the official opposition is comprised of /IPs from the Vanuaku Pati, the

Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP),

Jagriamel and Tan Union. On Septem ber 12, it became public that Carlot korman had lured opposition Vanua’ku ati MP Thomas Faratia to the govern icnt side. Opposition officials said that aratia went temporarily into hiding ecause angry Vanua’ku Pati supporters ere out looking for him. The defection nproved Carlot Korman’s parliamen ts position for the tiime being at least.

But the need to replace the country’s sad of state, President Frederick imakata, has thrown a wildcard into anuatu politics. The four-year presi sntial term of Timakata, who has been eated for a serious illness reported to be ukemia, expires in February next year.