Court allows parties to join hearing on LLG polls

THE Supreme Court has allowed two parties to join proceedings in a court reference filed by the Ombudsman Commission regarding the deferral of the local level government (LLG) elections.
Justice Collin Makail granted leave to the Umi-Atzera LLG in Morobe and the East Sepik provincial assembly to join the proceedings.
The commission filed the reference seeking the court’s legal interpretation of the government’s decision to defer the elections for more than three months.
The main grounds of the interveners were that they were recognised bodies with standing and had legal rights to file or join special references to the Supreme Court.
Umi-Atzera’s lawyer Timwapa Dawidi submitted that since the decision for deferral was made, the LLG elections had been deferred for more than three months after the 2017 national election, which would affect Umi-Atzera and other local level governments.
“The interest of Umi-Atzera LLG in this proceeding is substantial because its outcome will in some way have an effect on LLGs in the country,” he said.
East Sepik provincial assembly lawyer Ralph Saulep supported the intervention.
Lawyers for the Ombudsman Commission Dr Vergil Narokobi, Mathew Kik and Pealiwan Koralyo did not object to the applications, as well as Electoral Commission lawyer Steven Ranewa.
Justice Makail said he was satisfied that the applicants had “real and substantial interest” in the special reference.
He adjourned the matter to April 23 for a directions hearing and allowed the three interveners to file statements in response to the reference questions posed by the commission.