Stay order on election discharged

THE Waigani Supreme Court has discharged a stay order on the local level government (LLG) election process made on April 25 by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika.
Justice David Cannings, on behalf of a three-man bench consisting of himself, Oagile Key Dingake, and Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, held that: “The Electoral Commission’s (EC) application to set aside the orders of April 25 is granted.”
Justice Cannings said the orders were made on grounds that the referrer in the reference, the Ombudsman Commission, would not suffer any prejudice despite the election process being processed.
The reference was filed by the Ombudsman Commission (OC)for the Supreme Court to interpret the legality of the LLG elections for being delayed for two years.
The court held that further important questions by the OC to defer the application of the EC and the attorney-general (AG) would further delay the LLG elections.
Justice Cannings said the Minister of Inter-government Relations in the O’Neill-government, Kevin Isifu, could amend the election dates because the writs were already issued.
The court ordered that each party paid their own costs.
Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court which now allowed the local level government elections to proceed without further delay.
Gamato said he would propose new dates for the LLG elections this week for the Minister for Inter-Government Relations to approve them.
“Once the minister approves the new dates, the Electoral Commission will go straight into accepting of nominations since the writs have already been issued,” Gamato said.
Gamato said now that the Supreme Court had given the all-clear for the LLG elections to go ahead, all the 20 provincial electoral offices were on standby to conduct the elections