Challenge to Lini

Press, 8 December 1987, Page 10

Challenge to Lini

NZPA-AAP Port Vila Vanuatu’s ruling Vanua’aku Party has been split by a leadership challenge to Father Walter Lini by the party’s secretarygeneral, Barak Sope, after the recent General Election. Mr Sope announced on Saturday that he would accept any move at this week’s special party congress to endorse him as “the next leader of Government” The announcement incensed Mr Lini who has already announced his intention to again form a Government Mr Lini is president of the party and by precedent the party president is nominated when . Parliament ' meets , to ” elect a Prime Minister after an election. Parliament will meet on Friday and the party will hold a special congress today and tomorrow. Mr Lini has questioned the competency of the congress to decide the leadership issue, saying it is a matter to be decided at grassroots village level and not on the congress agenda. Mr Sope says that it will be an item for discussion and that he would rather run the party as secretarygeneral (as he has done since its creation in 1974) but that if his supporters insist, he is willing to run the country instead. He says Mr Lini, aged 44, is still suffering from the effects of a severe stroke he suffered in February. (Mr Lini has

no use of his right arm or hand and his right leg is stiff.) However, Mr Lini says he is in good health and he took an active, if limited, part in the election campaign. Mr Lini’s people say Mr Sope does not have the numbers for a successful challenge and his support relies entirely on the backing of the party sub-committee from his home-base on Efira Island in Vila harbour.

Mr Sope’s decision to challenge the .leadership was taken on - Friday night at a special meeting on Efira, when he is said to have told his audience that if people thought the Government was., run. by the party machine then ' “they haven’t seen : anything yet”. .■ • / £. His announcement at a press conference on Sunday followed a morning victory parade through Vila ’by the Vanua’aku Party, headed by a group of Sope supporters carrying a banner proclaiming him the “new prime* minister.”

Mr Lini’s propaganda machine immediately swung into operation and news reports omitted all reference to Mr Sope and even had Mr Lini leading the parade. Mr Sope’s announcement on Sunday was backed by a, press release onofficial Vanua’aku Party paper, announcing his list of items to be discussed at the special congress and his willingness to accept a nomination as Leader of Government