Political consciousness appears to be greater in the tiny South Pacific state of Vanuatu than it is in Manuel Mallia’s office and that of the Prime Minister of Malta

This is Vanuatu, a tiny island in the South Pacific, not a full-blown EU-member state, yet political consciousness there is sharper than it is here.

Islands Business reported a few days ago (30 October):

PASSPORT SALE CLAIMS FUEL VANUATU POLITICAL ARGUMENTS

PORT VILA, Vanuatu — The Vanuatu opposition is calling for the prime minister to resign over allegations his government is selling diplomatic passports.

But the government is vehemently denying the claims, saying it is just another attempt by the opposition to try and discredit it.

The opposition spokesperson, Jeff Batunvanu says it has information implicating the foreign minister, Edward Natapei, and the director general of foreign affairs, Johnny Koanapo, in the sale of passports.

Batunvanu claims to have correspondence detailing this from Vanuatu’s ambassador to the European Union in Brussels.

Batunvanu also claims that Vanuatu’s controversial honorary diplomat, Pascal Vu Anh Quan Saken, later repaid money to two people who had given the government money for passports but not received them.

But Natapei has categorically denied the allegations.

Natapei says there has never been any official instruction from him to any official of the ministry or its embassy in Brussels to strike any deal for a passport.