Tuesday 18th March, 2025 – The Office of the Prime Minister reiterates that it expects the highest level of performance from all departments, including statutory bodies under its purview. These include the office of the Citizenship Commission – tasked with the duty of granting citizenship to anyone who meets the criteria.
Following instructions from the Prime Minister on March 11 to cancel the citizenship of an Indian national - Lalit Modi - the Commission has commenced work to establish the facts behind allegations against him.
Citizenship Commission Chairman Charles Maniel, has instituted all due diligence processes following the Prime Minister’s instructions, to ensure that it is adhering to the provisions of the Citizenship Act CAP 112.
The Act requires that the Commission writes to the individual concerned – providing them an opportunity to respond to any allegations laid against them. Once all that have been done, the Commission can then hand down its decision. And in the event the person concerned does not respond adequately or fails to meet any of the requirements under CAP112, the Commission can then proceed to cancel their citizenship. Suffice to say, the decision may be subject to a final recourse to the courts.
Prime Minister Jotham Napat has commended the new chairman for acting swiftly on his instructions to establish the facts but also to work within the laws of Vanuatu. He reiterates that the Government will not take such issues lightly and will not hesitate to take firmer decisions if warranted.
The Prime Minister reiterates that under his leadership Vanuatu will not stand idly by while people with some vested interests undermine our sovereignty.