By Leah Lowonb – Vanuatu Independent
New President of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, Chief Willy Plasua.
THE newly elected president of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs has been sworn in at the chiefs’ nakamal in Port Vila.
Chief Willy Plasua is the new President of the council and he is from the Gaua-Torba province.
He was welcomed yesterday along with the council’s new 31 members from all the provinces of the country.
The election of the new president and council members which should have taken place in May began in September, confirmed the Chairman of the Electoral Commission Martin Tete.
He said all area councils elected their representative to the Island councils and the Island councils then elected the member to the National Council.
The new President was sworn in, in a ceremony officiated by the Attorney General, Arnold Kiel Loughman.
The former President makes the handover to the new president of Malvatumauri.
A custom ceremony was held after the signing where the former Malvatumauri President, Chief Seni Mao Torvaka Lima Tirsupe, handed over his responsibility to new president, Chief Willy Plausa.
Chief Seni Mao Torvaka Lima Tirsupe congratulated and welcomed Chief Willy Plausa to his new position.
He asked Chief Willy Plausa to help ‘wakeup’ the chief governance system throughout Vanuatu.
Th new president with Council members.
The Malvatumauri was established under the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu chapter 5.
It operates under the Chiefs Act Number 23 of 2006 which defines the composition of the Council as consisting of custom chiefs elected by the Island Council of Chiefs and Urban Council of Chiefs.
The office of the Malvatumauri Council aims to preserve and promote culture and languages, support and encourage customary practice, uphold custom and tradition and ensure the effective operation of Malvatumauri through appropriate resources.
