Tanuvasa: Only 85 MPs allowed

By GYNNIE KERO
ONLY 85 MPs should attend Parliament tomorrow as their writs had been accepted by the Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae last Friday, says Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa.
He added that electorates which did not meet the deadline would be deemed as “failed”.
“Every electorate had the same amount of time from when the writs were issued and time extended to Aug 5 at 4pm,” he said.
“It is by operation of the law that those writs not returned by Aug 5 are deemed failed.
“The Electoral Commissioner (Simon Sinai) is considering a further extension for those (33) writs not returned and has referred to Section 80 (2) of the Organic Law.
“(But) this section of the Organic Law cannot be read in isolation to Section 105 and 126 of the Constitution, as the Constitution is the Supreme Law of PNG.
“We cannot flout the law just to accommodate everyone else.
“Any further extension would be unconstitutional.
“Everybody had the responsibility to elect new leaders irrespective of their views and frustrations of how the General Election (2022) were being conducted in their respective electorates.
“If they did not meet the deadline (Aug 5, 4pm) then they must bear the consequences as per the law.
“For instance, Markham and Laigap, they resorted to violence. So they do not have a leader when the formation of Government happens (on Tuesday, Aug 9).
“They (have) to bear the consequences of their actions.
“All along, they have been advised that they can go to the Court of Disputed Returns if any candidate is aggrieved by the outcome of an election.”

Rapa topples former two-time PM Wingti to become governor

FORMER two-time prime minister and incumbent Western Highlands Governor Paias Wingti has lost the provincial seat he won back in 2012, going down to former deputy Wai Rapa.
United Resource Party candidate Rapa polled 125,110 votes to People’s Democratic Movement party leader Wingti’s 114,857.
Wingti, 71, served as prime minister from 1985 to 1988, and from 1992 to 1994.
He became WHP governor in 1995. In the 1997 general election, he was defeated by Father Robert Lak. But he defeated Lak in 2002 to regain his seat and the governorship.
After he was declared the winner, Rapa promised to work with the four MPs and ward councillors to provide basic services to the people.
“Western Highlands is a melting point for all the Highlands provinces but has also been perceived as a hot spot for thugs and law and order problems.

Sinai: 85 writs enough to form Govt

PAPUA New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says the return of 85 writs to Governor-General Sir Bob Dade is sufficient by law to form the new Government for the 11th Parliament.
Sinai explained to the media in Government House on Friday that it was within the required number of writs above the absolute majority of 60 plus 25.
“With the 33 that are still in the process, the law gives me the power to extend for the remaining seats to return their writs after they have completed their elimination and declaration,” he added.
Sinai said, all 33 remaining seats were in the elimination process, which meant that the primary counts had been completed and they were in the second count. He said by today most of the counting would have been completed.