Political crisis in the world's smallest nation
The island nation is only 21 square kilometres in size. It's phosphate reserves meant at one stage its people were amongst the richest, per capita, in the world. But that wealth, counted in billions of dollars, was squandered by bad investments, bad governance, corruption, and theft. In 40 years as an independent nation it's had 36 changes of government, 17 of those within a 14 year period. By the late 90's most of Nauru's primary phosphate reserves were gone, and with it went, the country's income.

But unlike many countries Nauru's been given a second chance, as it begins mining the secondary phosphate reserves. It's unlikely to provide the sort of money previous government's succeeded in wasting, but it's hoped it will allow it to help meet its massiv e debts, and provide some income for its 10,000 people.

Unfortunately this new opportunity has helped trigger a new round of political instability. After winning elections in August last year, in December President Ludwig Scotty was removed from office in a vote of no confidence, and former Olympic weightlifter Marcus Stephen was the new President. Mr Scotty's fall from grace was driven by his support for his Foreign Minister David Adeang.

But a fortnight ago the opposition had the nine MPs it needed to support their own vote of no confidence in President Stephen. Nauru's parliament has 18 members, but the speaker has no vote. To stall the motion, government aligned speaker Riddell Akua stood down, deadlocking the house nine votes per side. Two days later the opposition successfully nominated David Adeang as the new speaker. And for the past week it's been made clear, while Marcus Stephen might be the leader of Nauru's people, Mr Adeang and the opposition control its parliament.

On Easter Saturday he called a sitting of the house, which was only attended by opposition MP's. Mr Adeang says President Stephen refused to provide security, and technical assistance for the sitting. It went ahead using candlelight, a portable generator and a hand-held recorder. The sitting voted in legislation changing Nauru's citizenship laws, and parliament's standing orders, which make it illegal for any MP with dual citizenship to enter the parliamentary chamber. Two government ministers, Foreign Minister Keiran Keke and Commerce Minister Frederick Pitcher, have dual Nauru, Australian citizenship, and Mr Adeang's said neither of them will be allowed into parliament.

In effect this means the Nauru government's lost its slim majority. It is the second time the dual citizenship of Nauru's MPs has been raised. The last time it happened in 2004, it resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency, and an early election. And with parliament deadlocked, and in serious disarray it seems the only thing both sides of the country's political divide can agree on, is an election.

The start of secondary mining means Nauru will again earn an income. But Nauruans have already seen their politicians waste their heritage. They're unlikely to be happy with the prospect of more money being used to for an election, so a small group of political elites can settle their differences. Both sides though are campaigning like a vote's imminent. President Stephen has been saying the opposition has lost touch with reality, and the only reason it wants to gain power is to get control of any income to be earned by the new mining enterprise.

It's also adamant if the opposition takes control, the new president will be former President Rene Harris, one of the Nauran leaders who is credited with sending the country broke, and who the government's blamed for inciting the protests earlier this month, which led to the burning down of the country's police station and prison. After elections last year Mr Harris was Nauru's one man parliamentary opposition, and he's taken advantage of the change in the country's political breeze to improve his political support. For its part the opposition says the President Stephen is arrogant and uncaring.

One fact though can't be denied about President Stephen. His support has gone from being able to form a government, to where he's fighting for his political life.

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