Call to reconsider LLG elections

 A LOCAL level government president has called on the Electoral Commission to reconsider its decision to conduct the local level government elections with the national election.

Lae mayor Koim Trilu Leahy made this call after Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato had recently announced that the two elections would be conducted together in 2017 to save costs.

Leahy said the decision was unfair on the LLG presidents and ward councillors who had a year still remaining to serve until 2018.

He said LLG presidents around the country should be allowed to complete their full terms in office as required by the constitution.

“I should think it will be illegal to conduct the LLG elections together with the national elections in the same year,” Leahy said.

“If the Government wants to conduct both elections together then it must compensate all the councillors and LLG presidents for the year that they will not hold office.”

Leahy said many presidents and councillors have wasted a lot of resources to get to where they were and the decision by the EC would not go down well with them.

He said the rights and duties of the third-tier government in the country must be respected because it was the Government that is closer to the people than the Parliament in Waigani.