GE22 concluded but political ‘fireworks’ abound
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
GE22 concluded but political ‘fireworks’
abound
PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s General Election
2022 (GE22) has concluded but post-GE22 political developments and the outcome
of election petitions are expected to be fiery.
And former prime
minister and Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill’s Supreme Court case, questioning the
legality of the maiden 11th Parliament sitting on Aug 9, 2022, is
pending decision.
The National has published a review of GE22:
Legality looms
August 15, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
They have sent 50 new faces (including seats vacated by the seven deaths of
incumbents and the seven new seats) to the expanded Papua New Guinea (PNG)
118-seat 11th Parliament.
North Bougainville MP late William Nakin, the 10th MP to die in office, who
passed away just before counting, has been declared the winner. The seat is
expected to be declared vacant and the by-election process to start to elect a
new MP.
In the process, seven cabinet ministers lost their jobs, 10 Independents were
victorious (in the last GE17 15).
The Independents included two rugby league personalities. GE22 also saw the
return of two women MPs in Parliament, after none were elected in the last GE.
In GE12, a record three women MPs were elected into the 9th Parliament.
Since Independence and after nine GEs (including 2017), only nine women made it
to Parliament.
GE22 saw a total of 13 parties winning at least one seat each (eight in GE17).
In GE17, 19 parties won seats but 24 won in GE22.
At press time, five seats (National Capital District Regional, Madang
Provincial, Chimbu Provincial, Southern Highlands Provincial and Enga’s Lagaip)
have yet to be declared.
PNG’s GEs remain as violent as ever – GE22-related violence had claimed the
lives of 57 Papua New Guineans since May 20.
Arguably, the biggest upset in GE22 was Davis Madava Steven (former deputy
prime minister and People’s National Congress deputy leader or former prime
minister Peter O’Neill’s No. 2) who was edged out by Jimmy Maladina in Milne
Bay’s Esa’ala.
Maladina is a key witness in the multi-billion-Kina UBS loan Commission of
Inquiry and was also once a close associate of O’Neill.
Tari-Pori MP James Marape, elected by 97 Parliamentarians (out of 105 present
in Parliament) as prime minister last Tuesday, formed a five-member interim
cabinet the following day to govern the country.
However, post-GE22 political developments and the outcome of election petitions
that are expected to be filed by losing candidates are expected to be fiery.
A GE22 legal bombshell looms for Papua New Guineans and PNG – the legality of
the maiden sitting of the 11th Parliament.
O’Neill, Ialibu-Pangia MP, failed in his application to stop the sitting but a
three-panel Supreme Court bench ruled that whether or not the sitting was
legal, would be dealt with in the substantive matter.
And that is O’Neill’s application to the Supreme Court to determine the legality
of the sitting.
The Supreme Court last Tuesday had upheld the National’s Court’s decision to
reject O’Neill’s application to stop the sitting.
A three-man bench panel, comprising Justices Les-Gavara-Nanu, Collin Makail and
Elenas Batari ruled that the sitting of Parliament had already begun and could
not be stopped.
Justice Gavara-Nanu said whether or not the sitting was legal, would be dealt
with in the substantive matter.
The matter arose following the Electoral Commission’s extension of the return
of GE22 writs from July 22 to July 29, Aug 5 and Aug 12.
The EC had acknowledged that as at 4pm Aug 5, 33 seats had yet to return their
writs.
However, the MPs, whose writs were returned after the deadline were allowed
into the sitting.
And top lawyers had differing views on the legality of the extension of
deadlines for the return of GE22 writs. PNG Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai
said Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae had consented to the extension of
deadlines.
The power to extend the deadline beyond July 29 is being contested under the
the Organic Law on the National and Local-Level Government Elections and the
Constitution (Sections 105, 126, Schedule 1.2, 1.16 of the Constitution and
Sections 80 and 177 of the Organic Law on the National and Local-level
Government Elections).
On July 29, Justice Department secretary and Attorney-General Dr Eric Kwa said
Sinai’s decision to change the date for the return of writs was valid and
according to the existing law.
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