Pangu ordered to elect leader

By TREVOR WAHUNE
A COURT has ordered the Pangu Party council members to elect a party leader and a deputy on Oct 15.
National Court judge Justice Ere Kariko told the Waigani court yesterday that the agenda of the meeting should include the appointment of council members to fill vacancies, and other items.
His decision followed a dispute in February when two executive meetings were called. One was called by party chairman Patrick Pundao and general secretary Morris Tovebae on Feb 19. They are the plaintiffs in the court case.
The other was called by Bulolo MP Sam Basil, Goilala MP William Samb, Pangu Party women’s representative Judy Kanady, Highlands’ youth representative Nelson Tugo, and Southern youth rep Seneka Rea on Feb 21. They are the respondents.
The court was requested to rule which meeting was proper. Justice Kariko found both meetings null and void.
“Pursuant to the Pangu Party’s constitution, in relation to its way forward, the parties are ensured to meet and discuss. The party has agreed several times to compromise these proceedings, except for two suspended members, that is Bulolo MP Sam Basil, and women’s representative Judy Kanady.”
Justice Kariko said the party’s constitution provided that the members of the council should include the party’s parliamentary leader, and a member of the parliamentary wing, nominated by a parliamentary wing itself.
“In my view, it is sensible that the terms of office of the parliamentary leader, and the nominated member lapsed at the end of the last term of parliament,” he said.
“Obviously with a new parliament emerges a new parliamentary wing.”
He said because there had been no meeting of the party’s parliamentary wing after the 2017 general election, it was a serious default, not only by the parliamentary wing but by the party itself.
“This outstanding process must be attended to at the earliest,” he said. Meanwhile Basil told The National last night that the matter was in the hands of their lawyers.