Prime Minister of Vanuatu Fired For Not Having Absence Notes

Ever got into trouble for forgetting your absence note? I betcha it’s not as big as this: Edward Natapei, the Prime Minister of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu lost his job because he didn’t have an absence note for missing Parliament sessions three times in a row:

Natapei was fired for attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) currently taking place at the Hyatt regency hotel in Port of Spain.

According to the standing orders, Natapei forfeited his seat in Parliament after missing three consecutive sittings without notifying the Speaker.

Natapei missed the extraordinary sessions of parliament being held in Vanuata to debate the budget, because of his trip to this country to attend CHOGM. On Friday, CHOGM was officially opened in this country by Queen Elizabeth II.

On that very day, Vanuata’s Speaker, Maxime Carlot Korman, told Vanuata’s Parliament that MPs will need to elect a new Prime Minister by next week.

Link (Photo: LIFE/Getty)