Interested parties wanting to intervene, or join in the Supreme Court Reference Application filed by Opposition Leader Belden Namah, can file their applications for hearing on October 28th.
This is the reference Namah filed on September 23, seeking an interpretation over the legality of James Marape's election as Prime Minister on May 30th, 2019.
Lawyers representing the referrer (Namah) and those of other interested parties; The Speaker of parliament, Attorney General, Deputy Opposition Leader and Prime Minister James Marape, appeared in court for directions today.
At this stage, Namah is the only party in the reference. Those lawyers representing interested parties were directed to file and serve their joinder applications before the hearing on October 28th.
Only the Prime Minister’s lawyers have filed an application to intervene.
After the Supreme Court deals with the joinder applications, Namah as the referrer is expected to address the court on his standing; whether he has merit and valid grounds to bring such constitutional application before the Supreme Court for interpretation.
This reference by Namah is similar to the one previously filed by Patrick Pruaitch when he was opposition leader.
Namah is asking the court to interpret a number of sections in the constitution in relation to the election of James Marape as Prime Minister on 30 May 2019 and whether the purported withdrawal of the nomination for the vacant position of the prime minister, other than the nominator, was unconstitutional.
(Opposition Leader Belden Namah)