Vanuatu: PM Napat likely to defeat motion of no confidence

Around 17 October, media reporting indicated that opposition members were lobbying to table a motion of no confidence (MONC) against PM Jotham Napat ahead of Parliament's second ordinary session on 5 November.

Assessment: The opposition requires nine MPs to sign the notice to table the MONC and 27 votes to pass it in the 52-member parliament. If tabled, the MONC would be the second against PM Napat since he took office 18 months ago. Rising living costs driven by high fuel prices and labour unrest are likely to be drivers of the MONC. Given PM Napat's previous MONC defeat by 36 votes in December 2025, the opposition is unlikely to secure the 27 required votes (see SPI #37, 17–30 December 2025). The MONC is likely to remain opposition-led rather than split the governing coalition; no government defections have been reported to date.

Sources: Terence Malapa, “Possible motion of no confidence during Ordinary session,” Daily Post, 17 October 2026; “Vanuatu PM Napat could face fresh no-confidence motion in November, local media reports,” RNZ, 19 October 2026.