Shefa Province will reconvene on July 30 in another attempt to elect its Provincial President marking the third time the election has been scheduled.

The province has been without a president after two previous meetings failed due to lack of quorum. The third attempt, held on Sunday afternoon, also did not meet the quorum requirement, as only nine councillors were present short of the required number to proceed with the election.

The same nine councillors, who are from the Vanuaku Party and RMC, were present at the first two meetings held last week.

VBTC News spoke with the Secretary General of Shefa Province, Lionel Kalwat, who explained the situation:

“When there was no quorum at that time, I called for a new meeting within 24 hours. The next day at 1pm, we held another meeting but again no quorum. So we postponed it within 48 hours.”

The rescheduled meeting on July 27 again failed to meet quorum, with the same nine councillors attending.

“A reminder notice has been sent for a final meeting within 72 hours, which falls on Wednesday, 30 July. That’s when we will apply the rule of law under the Standing Orders.”

Given the repeated failure to reach quorum, Shefa Province is now working closely with the Electoral Office, the Electoral Commission, and the State Law Office to ensure legal procedures are followed.

“If there is no quorum within the 72 hours, then the Chairman will report to the Minister of Internal Affairs, who will then make a recommendation to the Prime Minister to consider dissolving the council,” said Mr. Kalwat.

Despite the ongoing challenges, Mr. Kalwat assured the public that the provincial administration is continuing its work and is committed to ensuring that the election of a provincial president takes place according to law.