Vanuatu’s government has shelved proposed changes to its Constitution to allow foreign nationals to hold office and extend term limits for members of Parliament.
The contentious changes come amid concerns that democratic institutions across the South Pacific are being weakened as Beijing ramps up its influence.
On June 21, Prime Minister Bob Loughman was forced to park the amendments after the opposition refused to attend Parliament to consider the changes. With only 31 out of 52 MPs present, the Parliament was short of a quorum (34 MPs).
The proposed changes included extending the terms of MPs from four to five years, introducing term limits for the chief justice, allowing dual citizens to hold public office, and expanding the definition of the “people of Vanuatu” to include naturalised citizens, which would likely include around 1,200 Chinese migrant investors….