Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Jotham Napat has voiced serious concern over claims of a “second republic” by a group in the small northern province of Torba.
The government has found itself in a position where it has been forced to issue an official warning.
A statement from his office refers to reports emanating from Torba’s Gaua Island – which sits roughly 120 kilometres north-east of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu’s largest island – of a group claiming to represent a so-called “second republic” and raising a new flag.
Vanuatu is made up of six provinces and has a population of about 300,000. Torba, which has a population of just over 11,000, is the least populous.
The government said any attempt to establish a separate republic, government, or to raise any flag other than Vanuatu’s national flag at the expense of national unity was unconstitutional, illegal and had no legal effect.
It said it considered these reported moves as unacceptable and warned that those responsible would face the full force of the law.
“The Government of Vanuatu wishes to make it absolutely clear that Vanuatu is a single, sovereign, united and indivisible Republic as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu,” the statement read.
The government called on all Ni-Vanuatu citizens, particularly community chiefs, church leaders and youth leaders in Torba Province and across Vanuatu, to refrain from participating in, supporting, or facilitating any such conduct.
“Chiefs are custodians of peace and unity and are urged not to allow their names, nakamals or communities to be used for unlawful purposes.”
The government instructed the Vanuatu Police Force to monitor the situation closely and to investigate any unlawful activity.
“Vanuatu’s unity, sovereignty and Constitution are non-negotiable,” it said.
