Case against Gamato adjourned

BY ALICE OSII
The case against Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato has been adjourned to Nov 26 after his lawyer sought an adjournment in court on Tuesday.
Gamato’s lawyer Alice Kimbu, of Kimbu and Associates, submitted in court that they were not aware of the decision handed down by the court last week.
She said as a result they did not attend the proceeding.
Kimbu made an application to the court seeking an adjournment of three weeks so they could file submissions on the penalty that the court would impose on Gamato.
Gamato was held liable for sanction by the National Court for breaching human rights of the people of Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka, Hela, Southern Highlands and Enga by not declaring continuation of local-level government elections which had been failed in those provinces in 2013.
Justice Hitelai Polume-Kiele said every person had the right to elect a leader to represent them.
She made it clear in court that Gamato was not guilty but had to face some kind of penalty for failing to comply with the court orders.
The Supreme Court and National Court had ordered that the by-elections be continued.
Gamato announced in September 2016 that he had made separate decisions to fail the 2013 LLG elections for 27 LLG presidential seats and 605 ward council seats in the six provinces.