Conducting LLG election is a breach of court order: Gamato

ELECTORAL Commissioner Patilias Gamato has made it clear that the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) cannot go ahead and conduct the local level government (LLG) elections because of a Supreme Court order.
He said this in response to a call made by Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Alfred Manase to go ahead and accept nominations to conduct the elections as the court order did not stop them from doing so.
Manase said the stay order granted by the Supreme Court last Thursday based on a Supreme Court reference filed by the Ombudsman Commission stopped the commission from issuing the writs which was in fact the responsibility of the Minister for Inter-Government Relations as per the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government Election (OLPLLGE).
“The court order stops the Electoral Commission from issuing the writs but the responsibility of issuing the writs is vested with the Minister for Inter-Government Relations and he has done that,” Manase said.
“So there is nothing stopping the commission from accepting nominations and conducting elections.”
Gamato however, told The National yesterday that this would be in breach of an the Supreme Court order and the commission could be charged with contempt of court.
“The matter is still before the court.
“The first part of the court order prevents the issuance of the writs but the second part prevents the commission from conducting the LLG election.
“So we cannot defy an existing Supreme Court order.
“The matter is still in court so all of us will have to respect the Supreme Court order and we’ll have to go back through the normal process in court and ask the court to hear our application and decide from there.