Vanuatu PM acts to shore up support

(Australia Network News) Vanuatu's Prime Minister, Edward Natapei, has appointed a new Minister of Lands in an attempt to secure a parliamentary majority ahead of a vote of no confidence against him next week.Radio Australia has confirmed that the member of parliament for Tanna, Hairy Lauko, has left the opposition bloc and been sworn in as the new Lands Minister.His departure, and that of Labour Party MP for Efate, Joshua Kalsakau, mean that both the government and opposition appear to be evenly split, with 26 members each.Earlier this week, the parliamentary speaker, George Wells, crossed the floor with two others after accusing the president's National Union Party of misusing $US400,000 of copra subsidies.The motion of no confidence against Mr Natapei tabled by the opposition on Monday is due to be debated next Tuesday.