Electoral Commission

He said it was totally absurd to be suddenly making amendments and reforms now when the Government had five years to do so with adequate consultation with all stakeholders.

"To not consult stakeholders such as the people, is totally arrogant and autocratic. It smacks of election rigging.

“Why now? Why also withhold funding for Electoral Roll updates for provinces and why delays on security assessments and other preparatory work?”

This was the response by Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, to a Question without Notice from the Opposition in yesterday’s (Tuesday) Parliament sitting.

Rabaul MP and Shadow Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Dr Allan Marat, asked O’Neill to explain rumours that the NEC had input in the appointments.

“Can you explain the information that is going around that Cabinet has caused gazettal of a list of returning officers for the country, that has never had any input at all from all the stakeholders from the provinces and the Electoral Commission?” queried Marat.

Some of the agencies that have pledged support include the Australian Electoral Commission (AES), the New Zealand Department of Foreign Affairs (NZDFAT), and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

“We are getting support on technical issues and looking at gaps and recommending to us how we can improve on our gaps,” said Gamato.

The NZDFAT, for instance, are assisting the PNG Electoral Commission with the National Procurement and Logistics Plan.

The plan will assist the commission fit in the assistance of organizations and other donor agencies.

This follows a vigorous cleansing exercise.

Speaking to political party executives in a workshop on Thursday, Gamato said a roll cleansing of the entire country has been completed.

“The exercise began around November-December last year and we began cleansing the 2012 roll.”

“And surprisingly enough, we found a lot of discrepancies on the roll so we went through by cleansing the roll with the assistance of the Australian Electoral Commission,” said Gamato.

The Supreme Court today refused to allow a Slip Rule application that was filed by sitting Kandep MP, Don Polye to proceed to a hearing.

Polye filed the slip rule application asking the court to revisit its decision of Sept 6, alleging the court fell into error when it issued an order for a re-count.

On May 2, the National Court ordered a count of 5 disputed ballot boxes from the areas of  Lungutenges No.1, Kombros No.1, Kambia No. 1, Maru and Imipaka however the Full court on Sept 6 varied that order, and told the Electoral Commission to conduct a re-count in 30 days.

Justices Allen David, Jacinta Murray and Frazer Pitpit in a unanimous decision upheld the two separate Supreme Court Election Petition Reviews that were filed by Don Polye and Alfred Luke Manase.

The three-judge Supreme Court bench quashed order 1 of the National Court Election Petition that set aside Polye’s election as member elect for Kandep.  

The Supreme Court also ordered the Electoral Commission to conduct a re-count of the ballot papers within the next 30 days.

The Waigani National Court handed down its decision this afternoon on the case filed by Hela businessman Larry Andagali.

Andagali filed the case over the Electoral Commission’s delay in conducting a by-election for the Governor’s seat following the passing of the late Governor Anderson Agiru on April 28.

The court found and declared that the office of the Governor became vacant on April 28, however, it refused to order a by-election, four months on since the death of the late Agiru.

Speaking from Irupara, Chief Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato says the exercise is the first since formally launching the nationwide Electoral Roll update last month at Kwikilla station, Rigo District.

The Roll update in Hula and Irupara signifies the start of the program nationwide.

He explained that the exercise in Hula was also conducted as an insight for their donors and stakeholders on the capabilities of what the current PNGEC administration can do.

The election of Presidents and Ward members of the Local Level Governments in 2013 were declared ‘failed elections’ by the Electoral Commission on August 15, 2013.

It was declared failed elections in a blanket decision on grounds of widespread corruption and illegal practices at polling and counting venues, 15 days before the date fixed for the Return of Writs of Aug 30, 2013.

A National Gazette notice was issued on Oct 7, 2013 however it did not specify which wards were subject to that decision. 

Manaseh in a press conference today said he will also be suing the former opposition leader Don Polye for releasing malicious statements.

He said the claims laid against him in The National newspaper were all lies and lacked evidence.

The newspaper in an article published a story claiming that Manaseh had a relationship with a female Electoral Commission officer and has a teenage daughter from that relationship.

Manaseh said these are all lies and tactics used by Polye to divert from the truth.