PNGTA polls declared null and voil

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
EXECUTIVES of the country’s largest single sector union, the Papua New Guinea Teachers Association (PNGTA), are illegally in office.
This is the effect of a National Court decision issued on Feb 23 and entered on March 7.
Justice Ambeng Kandakasi voided the PNGTA election of February 2010.
The court said the election was illegally conducted and in breach of section 61 of the Industrial Organisation Act, and court orders of Oct 5, 2009.
Kandakasi ordered that the candidates declared winners to PNGTA executive posts, and published in this newspaper on Feb 28 last year, were to immediately cease holding on to their respective positions.
The court ordered the industrial registrar and Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election in accordance with section 81 of the Industrial Organisation Act.
The court further ordered that former executives of PNGTA who occupied the positions before the 2009-10 were to be re-instated to facilitate and conduct a fresh election.
The former executive members following their re-instatement are to update and confirm the list of the financial members of the PNGTA, contacting and liaising with the industrial registrar and Electoral Commission to conduct fresh election for 2010 to 2013 and are directed to ensure smooth conduct and declaration of the new office bearers.
The re-instated branch president of the Western Highlands PNGTA Aita Sanangkepe yesterday said the court’s decision now paints a clear picture of the PNGTA’s management and administration officials and how they had been managing the affairs of the PNGTA.
He said PNGTA financial members in Western Highlands did not want the same to be repeated in the next election and appealed to the electoral commission and the industrial registrar to conduct the next election with due care.
He also appealed to the financial members throughout the country to elect candidates who are honest and God-fearing to represent them.