Advisers resignation ‘pre-mature’

By HELEN TARAWA
THE resignation by the three-member Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) will not have any effect on the election, says Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato.
He said their resignation was pre-mature because the election was still in progress.
“Their resignation won’t have much effect because at the end of the day, the person who approves a failed election is the commissioner. I have not heard any serious grounds interrupting the polling process,” Gamato said. “The decision to fail elections is mine, they only recommend.
“Their role was to advise or make recommendations to me and not to judge the election.”
Gamato said although there was provision for the committee to be established, there was no committee in 2007 or 2012.
He said the office of the governor-general had not received any official advice on the resignation from two members of the committee, Profesor John Luluaki and Richard Kassman.
“Ombudsman Richard Pagan has yet to communicate with me and my office on his stand,” Gamato said.
“I can only say here that the appropriate appointment authority is the head of state, who is the governor-general.”