Waigani to hear case on double date for declaration

National

A half-day trial is scheduled for a hearing of two dates used for the declaration for the Tewai-Siassi open seat in the general election on November 10.
The hearing is at the Waigani National Court.
Former MP and runner-up in the election Mao Zeming filed an originating summons seeking to review the decision of the electoral commission on the dates of the declaration for the seat.
The  court, in an earlier proceeding, allowed a request by incumbent MP Dr Kobby Bomareo  to join as the third respondent because of his interest in the case.
The court on Friday set the date for the hearing after refusing to extend time to the petitioner’s lawyer Moses Murray to file a statement in response to Dr Bomareo’s statement.
Justice Collin Makail accepted Dr Bomareo’s lawyer’s submissions that the petitioner had not indicated any reasonable explanation for the time extension.
The court heard that the issue to be determined was the date of the declaration which the petitioner claims to be July 18.
The third respondent and Dr Bomareo  suggested that the exact date of declaration was July 19.