The Prime minister of Vanuatu has criticised the Churches’ opposition to the WTO and has accused the Council of Churches of bribery after it paid allowances to opposition MPs attending a workshop opposing WTO membership.
His comments were made on Thursday during the final reading of the bill ratifying Vanuatu’s membership of the WTO. On Wednesday the bill passed its first reading by a vote of 26 to 21. However the Minister of Justice crossed the floor to vote with the opposition.
The Prime Minister, Mr Sato Kilman, said it would be interesting to learn where the Vanuatu Council of Churches got the money to pay the allowances. Other ministers were also critical of the Churches’ opposition. The minister of internal affairs who is responsible for churches, swore about the church leaders and NGOs but later withdrew the comment. The minister of public utilities said the role of the churches is to prepare the souls of the people for the next world, not to preach against the WTO.
Earlier International and Pacific organisations called on the Vanuatu government to respect the free speech of its citizens after it banned protests against joining the WTO.
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