Seoule Simeon Photo: Facebook.com/VN News
Vanuatu's Speaker of Parliament Seoule Simeon has filed a police complaint alleging he is facing threats and intimidation from political leaders.
Simeon said this follows the recent political turmoil within the country which resulted in a motion of no confidence vote against him taken to the Supreme Court and further to the Appeal Court.
"The complaint targets Prime Minister Sato Kilman, deputy PM and Minister of Lands Bob Loughman, Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities Jay Ngwele, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Ati, accusing them of alleged threats and intimidation," the Daily Post newspaper reported.
Simeon said he has faced continuous pressure, threats and duress from MPs and political leaders.
The speaker is set to face a motion of no confidence when parliament meets next Wednesday, which follows the change of government last week after Ishmael Kalsakau was toppled.
"These political leaders made three approaches on the same day putting pressure and threats on me to call parliament and one was in the Speaker's office taking my photo and sending them to his friends while demanding that I must call parliament or I will not be allowed to leave my office," he told the Daily Post.
This included locking him in his room until he made the decision they wanted.
But the Office of the Speaker announced last week that the attempt to remove the speaker through a vote of no confidence must wait until September 20.
It said it is an ordinary motion, unlike the one that applied to Kalsakau, and as such requires 15 days' notice before it can be debated.
Simeon said that people normally refer to the Vanuatu Parliament as the 'National Nakamal' and he expected members of parliament to respect the national house in the way they represent the voices of the people in this national nakamal.
Meanwhile, the new administration wants to bring Gracia Shadrack back into the speaker's role.
