Judge: Stop abusing court’s process for general election disputes
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
PORT MORESBY: Judge Joseph Yagi has warned lawyers to
stop using the judicial review process to file election disputes.
“The judicial review and
other court processes used by an aggrieved party in the (general) election
process are improper, incompetent and an abuse of the (court’s) process,” he
added.
The National reported the court proceedings:
Lawyers warned of
judicial abuse
August 11, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
NATIONAL Court Judge
Joseph Yagi has warned lawyers to stop using the judicial review process to
file election dispute cases.
“The judicial review and other court processes used by an aggrieved party in
the election process are improper, incompetent and an abuse of process,” he
said.
Judge Yagi yesterday dismissed an application filed by former National Capital
District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop to review the Electoral Commission’s
decision to recount the regional ballot papers.
Parkop is currently leading in the race for the seat.
Judge Yagi said the court only had the power to hear election disputes through
petitions after the writs were returned.
“Disputing the return of writs and declaration is the only process recognised
and authorised by law.
“The law does not recognise any other process,” he said.
Judge Yagi said the judicial review under Order 16 of the National Court rule
should not be used as a guide for a petition.
“It should not be used midstream while the election process is yet to be
completed with a return of writs or a declaration,” he said.
“In my view, the scheme of the organic law does not foresee a piece-meal approach
to resolve disputes arising during the conduct of the election process.”
Judge Yagi accepted the submission by Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa that
Parkop’s application was incompetent and an abuse of process.
“I have also accepted the State’s submission under Section 126 (6) of the
constitution that no person or authority is to control the Electoral Commission
in the performance of his powers and functions,” he said.
Judge Yagi also agreed with the State that Parkop’s originating summons was defective.
“The court has wide discretion to amend the originating process but it follows
with the permission of the court in situation where the originating summon had
been served.
“In this case, the amended summon was served without seeking permission to amend
nor granted permission by the court,” he said.
Sinai to wait for remaining writs
Markham MP Koni Iguan (left), Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai and Kabwum PM Patrick Basa in Port Moresby recently.
ELECTORAL Commissioner
Simon Sinai says he will continue to receive the writs for the remaining seats
yet to declared, before he takes them all to Government House.
“While I have returned the majority of the writs last Friday to the
Governor-General (Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae), the remainder will follow as they
are received by the commission,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“This is provided for under the legal framework.
“I will invoke Section 81 (3) of the Electoral Law to extend the date for the
return of writs for those specific provincial and open electorates.”
Sir Bob accepted and signed 84 writs last Friday, and 21 on Tuesday before the
first sitting of Parliament after the General Election 2022.
A by-election will be held for the North Bougainville seat being declared
vacant after the passing of the winner William Nakin.
Sinai urged election officials in the remaining 12 electorates to speed up
counting.
He also urged political parties, candidates, supporters and scrutineers to
respect the election process and allow counting to progress until winners are
declared.
The 12 writs yet to be returned to Government House are for Eastern Highlands
Provincial, Chimbu provincial, Kerowagi Open, Southern Highlands provincial,
Lagaiap Open, National Capital District regional, Moresby North-East, Moresby
North-West, Kabwum Open, Markham Open, Rai Coast Open and Madang provincial.
Sinai explains why Kabwum and Markham seats
accepted
By LULU MAGINDE
ELECTORAL Commissioner
(EC) Simon Sinai says he accepted as the winners of the Kabwum and Markham
seats in Morobe the two candidates leading during counting before some ballot
papers were burnt.
He said he made the decision after consulting lawyers and election officials.
“The commission took the view that to conduct a supplementary or a by-election
in these two electorates would mean that the EC is surrendering its powers and
authority to criminal elements to disturb the counting processes at any time,”
he said.
The two writs however, when taken up with others to Government House on Tuesday
for signing before Parliament held its first sitting, were not signed.
Therefore Kabwum MP Patrick Basa and Markham MP Koni Iguan could not be sworn
in with others as their writs had not been accepted by Governor-General Grand
Chief Sir Bob Dadae.
Sinai said the decision to accept the winners of the Kabwum and Markham seats
“was not taken lightly but (reached) after continuous consultation with legal
experts and commission officials”.
He said he accepted the winners of the two seats “under special circumstances
provided under organic law and in consultation with the returning officers,
Morobe election manager, the Electoral Commission legal team and management”.
He said the burning of ballot papers in the two districts was “a pre-planned
sabotage by the supporters of candidates who knew they were going to lose”.
He said by accepting the two writs, “the Electoral Commission is sending a
strong message that (it) will not give in to disruptions of the election
process”.
Clerk to Parliament Kala Aufa confirmed that 105 writs were returned to him
from Government House on Tuesday.
The writ for North Bougainville was also returned but a by-election would be
held after the winner, William Nakin, passed away recently.
Parlt to play a vital role for B’ville:
Toroama
PARLIAMENT will play a pivotal role in
determining Bougainville’s political future when it ratifies the 2019
Bougainville independence referendum results, says Autonomous Bougainville Government
(ABG) President Ishmael Toroama.
Congratulating Prime Minister James Marape on his re-election for a second
term, he said the referendum showed “a clear 97.7 per cent outcome where
Bougainvilleans voted for political independence from PNG”.
“Since my inauguration as president in 2020, Prime Minister Marape and I have
built a rapport based on mutual trust and respect despite our differing
opinions on Bougainville’s political future,” he said.
Toroama said the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) was clear on how the
ABG and PNG Government must implement its provisions on Bougainville’s
political future.
“There are no short cuts,” he said.
“The BPA’s implementation must be done according to
the existing legislative framework on peace-building on Bougainville.
Meanwhile, the PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement yesterday
said it “takes comfort with Marape’s commitment to address the recent electoral
failures and to address issues that have shaken business and investment
confidence in recent times”.
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