Petition against Dangima discontinued

KEROWAGI MP Camillus Dangima has survived one of the three petitions challenging his 2012 general election victory after the petitioner discontinued it in the Court of Disputed Returns in Waigani, Port Moresby, last Friday. Dangima has two more petitions pending, one from runner-up and former Kerowagi MP Guma Wau and Bari Palma.Wau and Palma, who was the third, are alleging errors and omissions on the part of the Electoral Commission.Last Friday, petitioner Peter Kuman discontinued his petition against Dangima.
Kuman was in court last Friday and advised the court that he was discontinuing his petition.
Kuman had initially petitioned Dangima for alleged bribery and illegal acts.
He had alleged there were errors and omissions on the part of the Electoral Commission.
Dangima was represented by Martin Kombri of Paul Paraka Lawyers.
Dangima thanked Kuman for discontinuing the petition against him and told supporters, who gathered in the National and Supreme Court car park, he would now go back to Chimbu to meet with the people in his electorate.“The court has kept me away from the people who elected me,” he said.
He said Kuman was his tribesman and a close relative.
“Kuman has done it as a leader to discontinue his petition,” he told the media and supporters.
Election petitions judge administrator Justice Colin Makail has fixed Dangima’s trial hearing for the remaining two petitions against him in March.The trial will be conducted in Kundiawa, Chimbu, on March 25-29.