‘File proper affidavit’

By BEVERLY PETER
JUDGE Joseph Yagi told General Election 2022 (GE22) candidate Jimmy Dia Lyipita (Independent-Moresby-South) to file a proper affidavit in his application to halt the elections in the province.
National Court Judge Yagi said GE-related matters must be properly documented and presented to the court via the required procedures under the law in order to be given a fair hearing.
“You have to present concrete evidence to support what you are saying because the court cannot make decisions based on speculations,” he added.
He said this in Waigani yesterday when hearing an urgent application by Lyipita seeking the courts order to restrain the Papua New Guinea ‘(PNG) Electoral Commission (EC) and Sinai from conducting polls in Moresby-South pending a substantive mater.
Lyipita in the substantive matter claimed that the EC allegedly had an agreement with the National Capital District Commission which might cause conflict of interest and that must be cleared.
He sought the court to order Sinai to provide the updated common roll for each ward and gazetted polling sites for the purpose of a free, fair and safe GE22.
Lyipita said he wanted those documents because electoral officials, allegedly, through the agreement, had altered the number of voters in certain wards in Moresby-South.
“Constitutional rights of citizens to vote and stand for public office are at risk and I ask the court to exercise its power to defer the GE22 to address the issue,” he added.
Yagi noted that the EC and Sinai were not properly served with the court file and asked Lyipita to provide evidence for proof of service.
“The parties identified as defendants must be served three days before the date of hearing to be given a fair time to respond and to file their notice of appearance,” he added.
“Regardless of urgency, you are obliged to serve the parties in order for your case to proceed.
“I am also not satisfied with the affidavit of service provided,” he said.
“File a proper affidavit to show that the file was served.”
Yagi ordered the parties to file their notice of appearance and return today for hearing.

Cardinal unhappy with GE22 prep

By LULU MAGINDE
THE head of the country’s biggest Christian denomination says he is disgusted and disappointed with the preparations for the General Election 2022 (GE22).
A visibly upset Cardinal Sir John Ribat, the Archbishop of Port Moresby and head of the Catholic Church in the country, yesterday expressed his frustration and disappointment at the way the GE22 was being run.
He said the GE22-related problems were not only confined to the National Capital District (NCD) but to other provinces as well.
Sir John said he was not sure whether he would be allowed to cast his vote today, as he had not checked whether his name was on the common roll.
He called the GE22 the worst-prepared general election.
Peter Aitsi, the chairman of Transparency International PNG, said the deferral of polling in NCD on Monday and again on Wednesday was “a significant administrative failure”.
“Our fear is that if we do not have decisive leadership, then we stand a real risk of having failed elections in a number of our electorates,” he said.
“This will present a significant constitutional crisis for us.”
Aitsi said it was only right that the people should be angry and question the credibility of GE22.
“The haphazard manner in which the GE22 preparations was conducted should be of grave concern to all citizens,” he said.
“The preparation for the creation of seven new electorates and enrolment of new eligible voters should have been done years before GE22.”

NDC polling set for today after delays

THE one-day polling in the National Capital District (NCD) is expected to start 8am today after it was deferred twice this week.
Election Manager Kila Ralai said 499 polling officials had been trained to conduct polling from 8am to 6pm.
After the polling, all the ballot boxes will be taken to their respective counting centres: Moresby North-West at the PNG Institute of Leadership and Governance hall, Moresby North-East at the Sir John Guise Stadium, and Moresby South and the Regional seat at the Rita Flynn sporting complex. Counting is expected to start on Monday, according to Ralai.
“We are trying our best to deliver the election for NCD,” he said.
“We need to do it thoroughly and manage it properly.”