Ex-convict Wobiro fails to stop disqualification from contesting in GE22
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
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Ex-convict Wobiro fails
to stop disqualification from contesting in GE22
PORT MORESBY: The court must be seen to be performing
the course of justice by exercising the power vested in it to show that the
system works vigorously well, Acting Judge Getrude Tamade says.
“The court stands to be
challenged,” she added.
Her remarks were made in
the National Court in Waigani yesterday (June 27, 2022) when rejecting former
Western governor Ati Wobiro’s application to stop Electoral Commissioner Simon
Sinai’s decision to disqualify him from contesting in General Election 2022
(GE22).
“Wobiro has lost his
rights as a candidate by virtual of Sinai’s decision, and is stopped from
furthering this proceeding as he has not met the requirement under the law,”
she added.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few GE22 news updates as reported by The National:
Wobiro fails to stop
rejection
June 28, 2022The NationalMain Stories
THE court must be seen
to be performing the course of justice by exercising the power vested in it to
show that the system works vigorously well, says acting judge Getrude Tamade.
Judge Getrude added that though the court “stands to be challenged”.
She mentioned this at the National Court in Waigani yesterday when refusing
former Western governor Ati Wobiro’s application to stop Electoral Commissioner
Simon Sinai’s decision to reject his nomination to contest the General Election
2022 (GE22).
“Wobiro has lost his rights as a candidate by virtue of the Electoral
Commissioner’s decision, and is stopped from furthering this proceeding as he
has not met the requirement under the law,” she said.
“He is no longer a candidate as per Sinai’s lawful authority to reject his
nomination as his conviction and sentence still stand without a free pardon.”
Judge Getrude said Wobiro submitted that he lodged an application in the
Supreme Court to allow him to file a slip rule application to review the
decision on his conviction and sentence.
“In my view, Wobiro does not have a slip rule application and an arguable case
yet until the Supreme Court granted his leave application,” she said.
Judge Getrude said it was unnecessary for Wobiro to make an arguable case on
the slip rule application because he was not yet in the Supreme Court to speak
until he was given leave to do so.
She dismissed the proceeding and ordered Wobiro to pay the costs. Wobiro was
nominated as an independent candidate for the Western governor’s seat in GE22, but
was disqualified under the amended Parliament Act section 103(3)(e) which was
enforced by the Supreme Court’s order on May 26 during the Attorney-Generals’
special reference.
Wobiro was convicted and sentenced 11 years imprisonment in 2015 for conspiracy
to defraud the state when he was the Western governor.
Education, law and order my focus after polling: PM
Prime Minister James
Marape in a dinghy heading back to the mainland from Nutawawua, West New
Britain, yesterday after a Pangu rally. – Nationalpic by Rebecca Kuku
PRIME Minister James
Marape says he will focus on education and law and order when he returns to
office after General Election 2022 (GE22).
“On law and order, the focus is on fighting corruption,” he said.
“Law and order is a complex issue that cannot be resolved overnight.
“If I return as prime minister, I will focus on finding solutions and
strengthening pathways in the law and order sector so that all law offenders
can be prosecuted and held accountable.
“In the last three years, under the Pangu-led Government, and our coalition
partners, we were able to pass the Independent Commission Against Corruption
(ICAC), we were able to pass the Whistleblowers Act, and even better, the last
law we passed before Parliament rose was an amendment to the Proceeds of Crime
Act, for undisclosed wealth.”
On education, Marape said reforming the public education system would be his
priority.
“We will reform the education system so that we reduce the number of school
dropouts from Grade 8 and Grade 10,” he said.
“So, no more dropouts in Grade 8 and Grade 10, all Papua New Guinean children
will complete their Grade 12, so everyone has a fair chance of going out into
the country or the world and making their own mark.
“We will also build more schools to cater for the large number of students, and
will improve the working conditions for teachers, because we want to ensure
that we leave no one behind.”
Marape, who is also the party leader for the ruling Pangu Pati, said “we are
standing not just for free education but for quality education”.
“We will reintroduce agriculture and religion to public school systems, so that
our children can have life skills and be grounded in the word of God when they
complete their education,” he said.
Yesterday, Marape was at Nutawawua Island in West New Britain to attend a Pangu
campaign for the party’s Kandrian-Gloucester candidate Walter Lunga.
“I do not come from a rich family, or a business family, my father was a simple
man, I grew up in the villages, in remote parts of the country.
“I know, the hardships, the challenges,” he said.
“We want to connect Papua New Guinea, we want to connect rural areas, build
roads and bring in government services.”
Marape stands by party: Leave Pangu Pati out
of dirty politics
PRIME Minister James Marape says political
parties and politicians should leave Pangu Pati out of their electoral smear
campaigns.
“Pangu will always remain as the ‘mama political party’ in the country,” he
said.
“It gave birth to Papua New Guinea as a country and was the party that united
Papua New Guineans and the country.”
Marape retorted: “If you have a problem with me, come talk to me, mi
mangi Tari, mi stap (I am a Tari man, I am here), do not attack Pangu.
“Pangu is bigger than you and I.
“Pangu is bigger than whatever issues you have against me.”
Marape made the comments while in Western to attend Pangu candidates’ campaign
rally.
He said people had been saying that Pangu was dead but Pangu was very much
alive.
“Pangu was there before, any of your political parties and it is here to stay,”
he said.
“The fathers of our country, from all across the country in the likes of the
late Sir Michael Somare, Sir Olewale, Sir Guise, Sir Kale and many others
formed Pangu to unite the country.
“If you young people do not know, let me tell you, that Pangu united Papua and
New Guinea.
“Pangu gave birth to PNG.”
Marape said his generation of leaders leading Pangu Pati now also believed in
the same dream, of a united PNG.
“We want equal distribution of development, infrastructure and government
services nationwide,” he said.
“We want to recapture that dream of a united PNG and develop the nation as a
whole, not just some parts of the country.”
Gain people’s trust,
says Duma
June 28, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
Duma, who is the Minister for State Enterprise and parliamentary leader of the
United Resource Party (URP), made this clear on Saturday in a political rally
he held at Kontla village in Mt Hagen for Western Highlands regional
candidates.
Duma said the reason for the regional candidates to come together was to tell
their policy to the people and highlight issues affecting the province and how
they would fix them if given the power.
He said that this was the way forward as people wanted to see them all at one
rally outlining their policies.
He said it was about time people needed to come to know the policies and elect
good leaders that could lead Western Highlands.
He said candidates had to campaign together so that whoever that won could lead
the people.
Duma said URP had endorsed 49 candidates and the party’s campaigns were based
on the policies which were for the good of the country and the people.
He said candidates must put first up policies instead of resorting to violence
and threats.
“It is good seeing you all here to stand before this crowd and reveal your
policies so that people can choose which one to vote.
“This is true campaigning as policies will change people’s mindsets on whom to
vote and for you all to be here, I believe will make a lot of difference,” Duma
said.
He also urged supporters to respect public properties during the campaign,
voting and the declaration periods.
Duma said leadership started at a small level by controlling supporters.
“If you cannot reveal your leadership here, how can you operate and exercise
your leadership in parliament?
“All things start at the bottom and you need to exercise leadership back at
home before going into the parliament.”
He said as leaders, they had to do peaceful campaigns so people could vote a
person who they thought could come up with healthy polices.
“It is no good voting in people who make lots of commitments and empty
promises, they are not leaders.
“Leaders provide the lead, plan for the future and election is a time you have
to come up with polices to convince people,” Duma said.
Students lead march for fair, safe election
STUDENTS attending
Mendi Day Secondary and primary schools near Mendi town in Southern Highlands
joined Electoral Commission (EC) team, churches, business houses and public servants
in a peace march calling for free, fair and safe election last Friday.
The students in different uniforms representing their schools displayed
placards and chanted, “we want peaceful General Election 2022, no more
corruption” and marched through the town several times before gathering near
Mendi police station for speeches.
Deputy provincial election manager Grace Wong said the EC team in Mendi
electoral office decided to stage the peace march before polling for candidates
and their supporters to witness and work together for a violence free election.
“We have seen the outcome of the 2017 National Election, it brought chaos and
many of our services were destroyed, forcing people to travel to other
provinces.”
Juffa endorses Gulf regional candidate
People’s Movement for
Change (PMFC) party has endorsed Elizah Timothy as its candidate for the Gulf
regional seat.
Party Leader and Northern Governor Gary Juffa, who was in Kerema at the
weekend, said with a membership of 15 candidates, PMFC would support the Marape
government to continue the fight against corruption.
He said the party’s fundamental policies were based on three pillars; land,
economy and the future.
Juffa urged the people of Gulf to choose right leaders.
“If you care about your country, vote the right leaders,” he said.
“Our party is small and we are funded by our friends and family.”
Juffa said land was the most valuable resource.
“We are fortunate to own land. We need laws that will protect our land.
“We need laws to be changed to benefit our resources so we can own our economy
and design our future.
“If you want to take ownership of land, choose wisely during this election,
vote a leader, not a politician,” he said.
Juffa explained that the Oro provincial government every year funded lawyers at
a cost of K250,000 to defend land cases for the people.
“As long as I remain governor, I will always fund lawyers to take up cases on
land issues,” he said.
2023 budget must reflect priorities:
Ling-Stuckey
KAVIENG development authority (KDDA)’s Budget
2023 to 2027 must reflect the priorities of the Kavieng people, MP and
Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey says.
“Some of the policies included the Painim Kapa Project (PKP), sea and land
transport, infrastructure funding for schools and churches, small medium
enterprises and women’s support grants,” he said.
“Agriculture, including the Kirapim Banis Pik (KBP) will be implemented in my
fourth term.”
Speaking in Puas village, Ward 7, Lavongai on Saturday, Ling-Stuckey said the
best way to achieve the priorities was for the Kavieng people to endorse the
Pangu Pati 8-point plan customised for Kavieng.
“There is minimal change to my seven-point policy platform from 2017, because
we want to fully implement and meet the demands of more people.”
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