**The prime minister of Vanuatu has been stripped of his position and parliamentary seat because of a basic paperwork error.**Edward Natapei, who has been attending a Commonwealth summit, missed three consecutive sittings without submitting a written explanation for his absence.
Under Vanuatu’s law, this means he must forfeit his seat.
The Pacific island-nation will now be ruled by a caretaker government until MPs elect a new prime minister.
The vote is expected next week, and there will also be a by-election for Mr Natapei’s seat.
To retain his seat, Mr Natapei - who is now flying back from the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago - needed simply to notify the parliamentary Speaker.