Court of Disputed Returns

Cases that had petitioners present in court indicated the number of witnesses they intend to call and were given time to collect witness statements in preparation for trial.

Among those petitions that went for direction was the one filed by runner-up in the Ialibu-Pangia Open seat, Stanley Liria.

In this petition, Papua New Guinea Defence Force, Brigadier-General Gilbert Toropo, and CEO of the National Gaming Control Board, Imelda Agon, were summoned to turn up in court for the trial.

The petition was filed on Tuesday against the successful candidate Ian Ling-Stuckey.

Ling-Stuckey has been named as the first respondent while the Electoral Commission the second.

The notice of petition has taken effect and each respondent who wishes to defend the petition is to contact the Registrar of the National Court to obtain a copy of the petition.

It will be listed for hearing at a later date.

The National Alliance member was declared the new Member for Kavieng Open on July 20 by Returning Officer, Yuyu Lasbut.

Regional candidates Michael Akis and Tony Puana are leading the petition.

The four-point petition covers allegations of bribery, undue influences, qualification to contest in 2012 and 2017 elections, and other election irregularities by the Electoral Commission during polling and counting.

The petitioners accused Governor Muthuvel of rigging the election process on the grounds that election officials had continued counting the regional ballot papers despite scrutineers disputing a number of ballot boxes.

As election winds down, election petition cases are expected to be filed in the Court of Disputed Returns, challenging the outcome of the elections.

The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme and National Courts is expecting large crowds to attend and is now implementing strategies to manage the number of people accessing the court facilities. This is due to the construction underway at the Waigani court complex.

“We have limited space to accommodate the large volume of people we have experienced in the past,” the office of the registrar, Ian Augeria, said in a statement.

“As Papua New Guinea prepares for the National General Elections in April 2017, the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission has submitted proposals for amendment when Parliament next sits on January 24^th,” explains Political Science lecturer Patrick Kaiku.

Sir Salamo said 109 election petitions were filed contesting the election of 111 seats in the National Parliament five year term after the 2012 General Elections.

“Unlike previous election cases, all petitions have been completed within four years.”

He said although appeals are not allowed by Constitutional law in PNG, discretionary reviews filed numbering 88 have been completed.

Sir Salamo said these in his presentation: “Myth or Reality” on the Quality of Justice in the pacific during the 2016 Pacific Judicial Conference.