Vanuatu government faces no confidence motion

(ABC Radio Australia) Vanuatu's opposition has lodged a motion of no confidence against the government of prime minister Edward Natapei. The news comes just days after the speaker of parliament, George Wells, was expelled from the ruling National United party for accusing trade minister and fellow party member James Bule of misusing $US400,000 in copra subsidies.He has since joined the opposition ranks, taking up to three members of parliament with him.However, the government party on Monday failed to attend a scheduled sitting of parliament, forcing the sitting to be deferred until Thursday. The Deputy Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Public Policy, Derek Brien, says it appeared the opposition had the numbers to unseat the government."At this stage its looking as if the government has conceded that as of this morning they didn't have the numbers, although the rumour mill abounds throughout the afternoon that the government has taken some of the numbers back so its too early to say what will happen on Thursday," he said.