Sato Kilman

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Sato Kilman was the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the Government of Vanuatu from December 2004 to July 2007. He is the Leader of the People's Progress Party and is an MP from Lakatoro on Malekula island.

Kilman and Ham Lini led the opposition to the Serge Vohor government when it took office in July 2004. Soon, however, Lini joined a coalition government with Vohor. Kilman then became known as the leader of the opposition, and became a particularly strong critic of Vohor's attempts to establish relations with Taiwan. He called for the arrest of Taiwanese whom he felt were trying to plot Vanuatu's foreign policy. In December 2004, Kilman filed the no confidence motion which deposed Vohor and made Lini prime minister. In the new cabinet established on December 13, 2004, Kilman was rewarded by becoming Lini's deputy, as well as taking the position of foreign minister.

Kilman was dismissed from the government in a cabinet reshuffle in late July 2007. According to the government, this was due to alleged fraud, involving money stolen from the government, in which Kilman's political secretary was said to be involved.^[1]