Kua wants watchdog to put Electoral Commission under microscope

SINASINA-Yongomugl MP and former minister of justice and attorney-general Kerenga Kua wants the Ombudsman Commission (OC) to do its own investigations into the conduct of the Electoral Commission.
According to Kua, there were too many disputed returns and post-election dissatisfaction, one which resulted in the burning of state properties in Mendi, Southern Highlands, last month.
“I do not condone what happened in Mendi but if we do not address these underlying issues seriously and right the wrongs with corrective measures and actions, then we can forget 2022 general election because these problems will not go away on their own,” he said.
Kua was supporting a call by Opposition Leader Patrick Pruaitch for Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to honour his promise made in Mendi to investigate the concerns on the election for the Southern Highlands provincial seat.
“To complement the prime minister’s promised enquiry, it is important that the Ombudsman Commission also looks into the conduct of the Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato and the manner in which he managed the whole election process as to whether or not he has breached the Leadership Code.
“There were so many irregularities that occurred before, during and after the 2017 elections.
“The Ombudsman Commission must determine whether or not the elections were compromised when 10 million ballot papers were printed in Indonesia and not by the Government Printing Office for the registered 4.7 million-plus eligible voters.
“The Ombudsman Commission has to look into the deaths of security forces and civilians during the elections.
“The fact that the Electoral Commission did not use the same electoral roll to conduct the elections around the country and the situation is further exacerbated because so many names were omitted while ghost names appeared instead on the rolls.
“Finally, was the Electoral Commissioner involved in commencing the process by which the governor-general invites the People’s National Congress Party to form government while counting is still in progress in the electorates?
“By definition, the Electoral Commissioner is answerable to the Ombudsman’s Leadership Code and it would be negligent of the Office of the OC not to look into this important process that has been fraught with irregularities.
“The process of electing our representatives every five years into political office is so important to the people of this country and needless to say it underpins our democracy and the basic rights of our people.”