Tekwie files complaint on illegal voting

By ELIAS NANAU
LOSING West Sepik regional candidate and former governor John Tekwie has filed a complaint with the Vanimo police to investigate under-aged voting in the Oksapmin area in Telefomin.
The allegation has been directed at elected governor Amkai Mai, but he could not be reached for comment.
Mai is understood to be in Belden Namah’s camp in Kokopo following his defection from the Triumph Heritage and Empowerment (T.H.E.) Party a week before he was declared governor.
Tekwie said from Vanimo that he was taking the matter through the process of law to deter future occurrence of such incidents, which ultimately undermined the integrity of a free and fair election.
“Last night, the provincial police commander came on air over NBC Sandaun and said police would investigate,” Tekwie said.
“Election laws were broken.
“I am getting additional evidence and my lawyers are helping me on aspects of the law.”
Tekwie said he did not want to see children become victims of crime engineered by mature people.”
He said he was also filing an election petition in the court of disputed returns that the election for West Sepik provincial seat to be declared null and void or the court could declare him, the runner-up, as the duly elected governor.
If he does file a petition, it would be the first election petition against the winning candidate for the provincial seat.