Bid to halt Moresby-South polling: Judge tells Independent candidate to file proper affidavit

News that matter in Papua New Guinea

Moresby North-East polling officials during a training session yesterday in Port Moresby. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

Bid to halt  Moresby-South polling: Judge tells Independent candidate to file proper affidavit

PORT MORESBY: Judge Joseph Yagi told General Election candidate Jimmy Dia Lyipita (Independent-Moresby South) to file a proper affidavit in his application to halt the elections in the province.

Natiobal Court Judge Yagi said GE-related matters must be properly documented and presented to the court via the required procedures under the law in order to be given a fair hearing.

“You have to present concrete evidence to support what you are saying because the court cannot make decisions based on speculations,” he added.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduced below the news break and a few GE212 news updates published by The National:

‘File proper affidavit’

July 8, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By BEVERLY PETER
JUDGE Joseph Yagi told General Election 2022 (GE22) candidate Jimmy Dia Lyipita (Independent-Moresby-South) to file a proper affidavit in his application to halt the elections in the province.
National Court Judge Yagi said GE-related matters must be properly documented and presented to the court via the required procedures under the law in order to be given a fair hearing.
“You have to present concrete evidence to support what you are saying because the court cannot make decisions based on speculations,” he added.
He said this in Waigani yesterday when hearing an urgent application by Lyipita seeking the courts order to restrain the Papua New Guinea ‘(PNG) Electoral Commission (EC) and Sinai from conducting polls in Moresby-South pending a substantive mater.
Lyipita in the substantive matter claimed that the EC allegedly had an agreement with the National Capital District Commission which might cause conflict of interest and that must be cleared.
He sought the court to order Sinai to provide the updated common roll for each ward and gazetted polling sites for the purpose of a free, fair and safe GE22.
Lyipita said he wanted those documents because electoral officials, allegedly, through the agreement, had altered the number of voters in certain wards in Moresby-South.
“Constitutional rights of citizens to vote and stand for public office are at risk and I ask the court to exercise its power to defer the GE22 to address the issue,” he added.
Yagi noted that the EC and Sinai were not properly served with the court file and asked Lyipita to provide evidence for proof of service.
“The parties identified as defendants must be served three days before the date of hearing to be given a fair time to respond and to file their notice of appearance,” he added.
“Regardless of urgency, you are obliged to serve the parties in order for your case to proceed.
“I am also not satisfied with the affidavit of service provided,” he said.
“File a proper affidavit to show that the file was served.”
Yagi ordered the parties to file their notice of appearance and return today for hearing.

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Cardinal unhappy with GE22 prep

By LULU MAGINDE
THE head of the country’s biggest Christian denomination says he is disgusted and disappointed with the preparations for the General Election 2022 (GE22).
A visibly upset Cardinal Sir John Ribat, the Archbishop of Port Moresby and head of the Catholic Church in the country, yesterday expressed his frustration and disappointment at the way the GE22 was being run.
He said the GE22-related problems were not only confined to the National Capital District (NCD) but to other provinces as well.
Sir John said he was not sure whether he would be allowed to cast his vote today, as he had not checked whether his name was on the common roll.
He called the GE22 the worst-prepared general election.
Peter Aitsi, the chairman of Transparency International PNG, said the deferral of polling in NCD on Monday and again on Wednesday was “a significant administrative failure”.
“Our fear is that if we do not have decisive leadership, then we stand a real risk of having failed elections in a number of our electorates,” he said.
“This will present a significant constitutional crisis for us.”
Aitsi said it was only right that the people should be angry and question the credibility of GE22.
“The haphazard manner in which the GE22 preparations was conducted should be of grave concern to all citizens,” he said.
“The preparation for the creation of seven new electorates and enrolment of new eligible voters should have been done years before GE22.”

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NDC polling set for today after delays

Moresby North-East polling officials during a training session yesterday in Port Moresby. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

THE one-day polling in the National Capital District (NCD) is expected to start 8am today after it was deferred twice this week.
Election Manager Kila Ralai said 499 polling officials had been trained to conduct polling from 8am to 6pm.
After the polling, all the ballot boxes will be taken to their respective counting centres: Moresby North-West at the PNG Institute of Leadership and Governance hall, Moresby North-East at the Sir John Guise Stadium, and Moresby South and the Regional seat at the Rita Flynn sporting complex. Counting is expected to start on Monday, according to Ralai.
“We are trying our best to deliver the election for NCD,” he said.
“We need to do it thoroughly and manage it properly."

Voters in Gaire given extra day

July 8, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By CRETILDA ALOKAKA
VOTERS in Gaire village, Central, were given an extra day to cast their votes due to administrative issues, an official said.
Hiri-Koiari returning officer Leo Ameua said the scheduled days for polling was from Monday to Wednesday, however, there was a need to extend due to the late arrival of officials to the polling station.
“We have allocated Thursday for polling because we started around midday on Wednesday,” he said.
“To compensate for this, yesterday was given to ensure all villagers whose names were on the common roll to vote,” he added.
Ameua said “those whose names were not on the roll, would not vote”.
“The roll update exercise is over therefore, forms 11 and 57 will not be entertained.
“There is no need for these forms as this week and next week are polling period,” he added.
Ameua explained that form 11 is used for roll updates whereas form 57 is a request form.
“When the roll update is done and they fall short, voters will fill out form 57 to request the electoral commission for form 11,” he said.
Election manager for Central Peter Malaifeope said counting for Hiri-Koiari is expected to start on the weekend at Murray Barracks.

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Police to assist H’lands polling teams

Vote’s in … National Alliance party leader and Aitape-Lumi MP Patrick Pruaitch casting his ballot in his village, Ulau in West Sepik yesterday. According to the Electoral Commission schedule, West Sepik is expected to complete its polling today. – Picture supplied

POLICE will now manage and provide logistical air support for effective movement of polling teams and ballot papers during the polling throughout the Highlands, an official says.
Inter-Departmental Election Committee chairman Ivan Pomaleu said this was following the recognition of the limitation of the air assets available for contracting to PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC).
“The contractors engaged by the PNGEC for air support do not have the adequate capacity to deliver logistics for the elections,” he said.
Pomaleu said this during the agreement signing between Joint Security Task Force and PNGEC in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, yesterday.
He said the agreement could be reviewed depending on evaluation of the operation after covering the upper highlands, Chimbu and Eastern Highlands.
The Royal PNG Constabulary air wing will be responsible for coordination and delivery of air support.
Pomaleu said the agreement was to achieve operational efficiency, as the teams would begin to insert into Enga today.

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Polling ending smoothly in Telfomin, RO says

By JIMMY KALEBE
POLLING in West Sepik’s Telefomin in Mamose kicked off on Monday and is progressing smoothly and is expected to end today, returning officer (RO) Nelson Nime says.
Voters have been flocking to the 528 polling stations to cast their ballots in 535 polling booths in the 18 local level governments.
This also comprises 357 wards.
Nime said that there were however, some security concerns in Oksapmin.
He said more security personnel were deployed there to contain the situation.
“Voters and candidates had issued threats to disrupt polling,” he said.
“The extra security manpower should be sufficient to contain the situation for a peaceful end to polling.”
Nime said for Namea, the eight polling teams to cover the 15 wards were yet to receive their polling kits.
“When the teams received the polling kits, they would be sent out accordingly,” he said.
“The teams were expected to receive their kits by Wednesday.”
Nime said the Yapsie assistant returning officer (ARO) also took the polling materials to the LLG headquarters today (yesterday).
“From there, he would start conducting the polling.
Counting officials would start by today (yesterday).
“Eight polling teams should start polling for the 20 wards in the LLGs and this should start today,” he said.
“The only issue that the people of Telefomin were facing in this General Election (GE22) is missing names.
He said that many people were upset that they would not be able to cast their votes because their names were not on the common roll.
“This has been the case in all polling booths since Monday.”