|
By JOSHUA ARLO
The Electoral Commission has been ordered to weld ballot boxes and
ballot papers used in the elections for the East Sepik Regional seat and
Wewak Open in a container before the end of this week.
Losing candidates for the two seats Moses Murray (Regional) and Moses
Manwau (Wewak) last Friday successfully obtained these orders from the
National Court at Waigani.
Both men had filed separate applications last Tuesday, which was granted
by Justice Mark Sevua.
Mr Murray represented Mr Manwau and himself in court.
The applications, heard as one matter raised the issue of security for
the ballots as well as the transparency of the elections conducted for
the two seats and sought orders that the Electoral Commission preserve
the ballot boxes as well as the cast ballots.
They also sought an order against the Electoral Commission to provide
the serial numbers of the ballots to them.
The court granted these orders and also ordered the Electoral Commission
to provide the serial numbers to the duo before the matter returned to
court this Friday.
During the hearing, lawyers for Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen
told the court that maintaining the ballots in a safe place was costing
the EC money.
But Mr Murray argued that the security of the ballots was of major
concern and that by storing them in containers would prevent the
slightest interference on the cast ballots.
Meanwhile, the matter involving Paias Wingti against the Western
Highlands Provincial Returning Officer Kala Rawali, Provincial Police
Commander Winnie Henao and the Electoral Commissioner has been adjourned
.
Lawyers for both parties last Friday informed the court that that most
of the orders granted to Mr Wingti had already been complied with.
However Mr Wingti’s lawyer Alfred Manase told the court that there was a
problem with obtaining all the serial numbers of all the ballot boxes
and papers used in the election.
The reason was that the unused ones were still in the possession of the
electoral manager in the province, the court heard.
The matter will return to court at a later date when all the serial
numbers have been provided to Mr Wingti.
 
|
