EC still seeking legal advice

ELECTORAL Commissioner Simon Sinai says the commission is still seeking legal advice on a recent court decision stopping those convicted to stand for election.
Responding to The National on the enforcement of the new law, Sinai said: “We are still seeking legal advice. Otherwise, it’s a law that those under conviction of an indictable offence, their nominations should be rejected. The Supreme Court decided that they should not contest.”
According to the Supreme Court decision last month (May 30), anyone convicted of a crime after June 25, 2002 would not be eligible to stand for elections or remain an MP.
The decision was reached after various questions of constitutional interpretation and application referred by Attorney-General Pila Niningi seeking the court’s clarification of Section 103 (3) (e) of the Constitution which came into effect in 2002.
The court said Section 103 (3) (e) of the Constitution operated to disqualify from MP, a person who had been committed after the date of commencement of Constitutional Amendment No. 24 – Electoral Reforms, irrespective of the length of their sentence and whether they had completed their sentence.
The matter was heard before a five-man Supreme Court bench comprising acting Chief Justice Les Gavara-Nanu, Justice Elenas Batari, Justice David Cannings, Justice George Manuhu and Justice Allen Kingsley David.
The court said it was, subject to some exceptions in Section 103 (6) – if they are granted a free pardon or their conviction is quashed, a lifetime disqualification.
A nomination to be a candidate by such a person must be rejected by the Electoral Commission, and if their nomination is accepted, it is open to be set aside by the National or Supreme courts, the court said.
The court also said if their nomination was not set aside and such a person was a candidate in the election and they were elected, “their election is open to be declared null and void via an election petition challenging their election under the Organic Law on national and local level government elections”.

O’Neill shows support for Manus candidates

The People’s National Congress party Leader Peter O’Neill has been busy moving around various parts of the country supporting his candidates.
On Friday, he travelled to Manus to endorse Wep Kanawi for Manus open and George Sikin for Manus regional.
O’Neill’s late father, Magistrate Brian O’Neill, served a number of years on the island province and lived in Lorengau, therefore Manus was held dear to the PNC Party leader.
Addressing the people, O’Neill said Kanawi had a distinguished career in the public sector.
He added that Sikin while youthful, would add the dynamic attitude needed to take on and solve some of Manus’ most pressing issues. “The combination of Wep and George is a winning one and I can already see how well they are working together for the benefit of their people,” he said.
O’Neill returned to Port Moresby for a rally at Lealea village near the PNG LNG plant site on Saturday and is now in the Highlands before going to West Sepik for two days.

Returning officer urges candidates to educate voters

By JIMMY KALEBE
A RETURNING officer in Morobe is urging candidates contesting the election in his district to become voter educators during the campaign period.
Tewai-Siassi RO Lancelot Kamake said the 41 candidates that are contesting the seat in General Election 2022 have to take the lead in educating their voters on how to cast their votes in the limited preferential voting (LPV) system.
“There have been experiences in the past elections where some ballot papers were classified as null and void because some voters may have marked the ballot papers incorrectly,” he said.
Kamake said this was why all candidates needed to take the lead in ensuring their voters are educated properly before they go to the polling booths.
“These are your voters and if they are not being educated properly on how to mark the ballot papers and they marked it wrongly, then you will lose the votes.”
He said the election officials on the ground could only help but the onus was on the candidates to ensure voters were educated well during the campaign period.
Kamake also urged other citizens in the district who knew how to vote and mark the ballot papers to show others in their communities.
He added that all preferences would be important and would affect the number of votes a candidate received.
Meanwhile, Kamake asked all candidates running for Tewai-Siassi seat to respect other candidates during their campaigns.
“You must make it a priority that you and your supporters do not get into confrontation with the other candidates and their supporters. Work as a team and promote a free, fair and safe election.”
He said his election team was working on polling schedules, costing and planning logistics for the movement of ballot boxes, ballot papers, election officials and other equipment.
He added that Tewai-Siassi electorate would have 20 polling teams in Sialum, 10 teams on Siassi Island and five in Wasu.