Four interveners in Namah’s application on PM’s election

FOUR parties have joined in as interveners in a Supreme Court application questioning the constitutionality of James Marape’s election as the prime minister.
Justice Derek Hartshorn on Friday at the Waigani Supreme Court granted leave to deputy prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Davis Steven, Speaker of Parliament Job Pomat, the Pangu Pati and Registrar of Political Parties Dr Alphonse Gelu.
The court found that the parties had direct interest in the matter since they were interveners in the previous application. This would be the third time Opposition Leader Belden Namah has filed this application against the election of Marape as the prime minister after the previous application was dismissed on competency issues.
Marape was granted leave earlier as the first intervener. Namah is seeking clarification on constitutional questions regarding conduct of parliament and speaker.
Namah is questioning whether it was constitutional for the speaker of parliament to accept withdrawal of former prime minister Peter O’Neill’s nomination for the prime minister’s seat after close of nomination. Namah is claiming that the speaker failed to seek leave on the floor of parliament before accepting O’Neill’s withdrawal.
The case is adjourned to Sept 25 for directions.