Electoral Commissioner

The ballot boxes were transported to Mt Hagen under tight security escort over the weekend.

Provincial Elections Manager, Jacob Wakias, in a press conference in Mt Hagen yesterday told the media that the Election Commissioner has directed him to change the venue.

Southern Highlands was the second province in the country to go for polling after Hela. Declarations of its five districts were completed successfully but the counting for the provincial seat is still going on.

He clarified in a statement today that the Returning Officer, who declared Nick Kuman as Member-elect for Gumine Open electorate in Simbu and signed the writ, was Fredy Yaun and not the late Peter Kalpa.

“It was in fact an error on the part of my officers who prepared my statement for the press conference in not confirming the correct name of the Returning Officer who declared Nick Kuman here in Port Moresby.

Gamato approved a dead man’s signature

The PNG Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato, has accepted an Election Writ signed by a deceased returning officer.

http://www.looppng.com/png-news/gamato-approved-dead-man%E2%80%99s-signature-64185

Gamato comes clear on using deceased’s name

Gamato said it was misquotation on their part.

He said the Electoral Commission is now working on a media statement to correct the name of the returning officer and will retract his statement.

Gamato’s misquotation has however, resulted in a court order that is currently in place, preventing both Nick Kuman and Lukas Dekena from participating in parliament until the case is determined. 

Powi is a People’s National Congress Party candidate defending his seat in the 2017 National Election.

“I rejected the declaration because they have yet to reach the absolute majority mark,” Gamato told Loop PNG this afternoon.  

He added that counting must first be completed before a winner can be declared.  

However, Powi and Provincial Returning Officer Jacob Kurap in a media conference today claimed the declaration was valid and in line with the Organic Laws of Provincial and Local Level Government Elections.

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato said Moka Havara will be referred for investigation once the electoral process is completed.

He described the incident on Thursday at the Airways hotel as unfortunate.

Havara could not be located on Thursday morning to declare Sir Mekere Morauta after he surpassed the absolute majority.

The announcement was made at 9am but the declaration took place three hours later.

He was however at Airways declaring Joseph Tonde as member elect.

This notice of motion will be to ask the court to set aside the restraining orders that were taken out against Namorong by the Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato.

Commissioner Gamato on July 12^th obtained restraining orders from the Waigani National Court, to stop Namarong, his servants and agents from further publishing defamatory remarks on Facebook and Twitter, against him.

The specific remarks were not stated in the notice of motion moved last week, but his lawyer told Loop PNG after court that the remarks associated Commissioner Gamato to a fruit.

Gamato in a media conference yesterday afternoon in Port Moresby said only one of the six ballot boxes, which have allegations of foul play raised, will be put aside during the election counting.  

“According to observations by the State Legal Team for Jiwaka, for the first six disputed ballot boxes, there is some form of evidence in the form of amateur video footage for only one ballot box, which is for Kendu 1 polling place.

“The boxes from these polling venues of Bolba 1, Bolba 2, Tolu 1, Tolu 2, and Kendu 2 will be counted

In a media conference this afternoon he announced that only one of the ballot boxes will be put aside, that box is from Kendu 1.

This comes after a state legal team for Jiwaka observed that video evidence only showed vote rigging for Kendu 1 and not the other five disputed ballot boxes.

Meredith Kuusa with more 

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato said this when granting a request made by the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia during the two-day judges’ workshop on election petition.

Sir Salamo made a request to Commissioner Gamato to provide those documents to the Court registry from all the electorates for their records in preparation for the upcoming election petitions.

“We will make it available this election,” Gamato told the judges.

The request was made after lawyers gave a perspective of election petitions during the workshop.