Southern Highlands governor’s seat safe

SOUTHERN Highlands Governor William Powi remains safe in his seat after a three-man Supreme bench dismissed petitioner Peter Nupiri’s challenge on Powi’s 2022 General Election victory.
Nupiri had challenged the declaration of Powi as SHP governor under special circumstance.
Justice Les Gavara-Nanu, Justice Kinsley David and Justice Bethuel Dingake upheld the earlier decision in the National Court by Justice Thomas Anis to throw out Nupiri’s challenge.
Justice Dingake who read out their ruling yesterday said they could not find that Justice Anis’ decision was infected with any procedural unfairness.
They found Nupiri’s appeal in breach of Order 5, Rule 17 of the Supreme Court which provided that a decision by a single Supreme Court judge was not to be reviewed.
There were three election petitions challenging Powi’s declaration by the Electoral Commission under special circumstance.
But petitions by Bernard Kaku and Augustine Rapa were withdrawn while Nupiri’s petition made it to the objections to competency stage in the National Court.
It was dismissed on July 7, 2023, because Nupiri’s petition was filed on a different date and the K5,000 security for cost was paid on different date. Nupiri went to the Supreme Court saying that the petition should be determined on merit and not technical issues.