Pacific island premier seized

PORT VILA, Vanuatu Security forces loyal to Vanuatu's oustedleader arrested the new prime minister Sunday, hours after hisinauguration, radio reports said.

The arrest of Barak Sope fueled the dispute over who is in powerin the Pacific island nation of 130,000 people about 1,200 milesnortheast of Brisbane, Australia.

Sope was sworn in Sunday by President George Sokomanu, whoannounced Friday he was dissolving parliament and dismissing PrimeMinister Walter Lini. Sope and Lini, who took office in 1980, havebeen locked in a power struggle for the last year.

Lini said he would not yield power, and many in parliamentquestioned whether Sokomanu's actions were constitutional.

Radio reports said pro-Lini troops also arrested a Cabinetminister, whom Lini had fired earlier this year, and his chauffeurand secretary. The reports quoted Sokomanu as saying the troops"were in full combat gear. Some were carrying machineguns, othershad rifles."

Earlier Sunday, Sokomanu appointed a five-member interimgovernment he said would govern Vanuatu until elections in February.

Lini became prime minister in 1980 when Vanuatu, formerly theAnglo-French New Hebrides, gained independence.

Sokomanu's decision to dismiss the prime minister and dissolveparliament followed interim elections last week that gave Lini'sgoverning Vanu'aku Party two-thirds control of the 46-seatparliament. The opposition boycotted the vote, and Sokomanu said theparliament was unconstitutional because no opposition candidates wereput up for election.

Sope said he might seek military help from Australia or otherPacific nations if Vanuatu's security forces refuse to support him.