Court: Return ballot boxes to Mendi

National

The Waigani National Court yesterday ordered that ballot boxes for the Southern Highlands provincial seat held at Kiminga Police Barracks in Mt Hagen be returned to Mendi.
Justice Collin Makail ordered that the costs of the transfer of the boxes would be met by the Electoral Commission.
“This will enable the electoral officials, candidates and scrutinisers easy access to them when the need arises,” he said.
He further ordered that the ballot boxes be kept at Mendi police station in a locked container until the petitions were completed.
Justice Makail made the orders after dismissing an application by Southern Highlands Governor William Powi to stay two separate election petitions filed by Joseph Kobol and Bernard Peter Kaku challenging his election. Both petitions named Powi as the first respondent and the Electoral Commission as the second respondent.
Powi’s application sought court orders to refer eight proposed questions to the Supreme Court for interpretation.
Powi submitted that the questions arose from allegations pleaded in the petition to challenge his election as governor of Southern Highlands.
The court refused the application by Powi stating that it was was premature. Justice Makail said in his decision that before the question of referral could be considered, the competency of the petitions must be determined.
The petitions will proceed to trial on Feb 21 for a pre-trial conference.