Court to declare Kandep MP

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By MALUM NALU
Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato says it is up to the Supreme Court to declare the winner of the Kandep seat recount in Enga as it ordered the exercise.
He said this yesterday after Don Polye reportedly topped the recount ahead of petitioner Luke Alfred Manase.
“I cannot disclose who the winner is at this stage, although I know,”  Gamato told The National.
“Because it is a judicial recount, the results will have to be submitted as returns to the court, and the court will declare who the winner is.
“The end result is that the process is good, and the courts and the electoral process, under the Constitution, are strong pillars of democracy.
“If we continue to uphold democracy and respect the rule of law, we can build a strong nation.”
Gamato said he would leave the result to the court to declare.
“What will happen is that the returning officer will come back, and hopefully on Monday (today) or Tuesday, we will return the results to the court,” he said.
“The court will then make the announcement as it is a judicial recount.”
Manase filed an election petition, disputing Polye’s win at the 2012 general election.
The court upheld his petition, ordering a recount of votes, including  those in the disputed ballot boxes.