Commission seeking funds to meet legal bills

THE PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) has requested funding from the National Government to meet legal bills after receiving petitions for the local level government elections, Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato says.
“Just under 100 LLG election petitions have already been filed in district courts throughout the country and it is the Electoral Commission’s duty to defend itself and the electoral process in the election petitions and we have requested funding from the government,” he said.
Gamato said the PNGEC had made a submission to the Treasury Department to use some of the K4.5 million allocated for the LLG elections.
He said supplementary LLG elections for 94 failed council wards had concluded last Friday.
“These council wards in Hela, Enga, Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Chimbu, Eastern Highland, Gulf, Western and Milne Bay brought in all their supplementary election reports and returns and the writs over the weekend,” Gamato said.
He confirmed that three regions – Highlands, Southern and New Guinea Islands – had completed their polling, counting and declared their winning ward councillors.
All six wards in East New Britain declared unopposed winners – no election was conducted since only one candidate had been nominated.