31 Aug 2009

PNG Kandep by-election to proceed, no reviews on court decision

8:02 pm on 31 August 2009

The former Papua New Guinea cabinet minister Don Polye has reiterated he won't seek a review of the recent National Court decision to nullify his victory in the Kandep Open seat in the 2007 election.

Mr Polye's election was cancelled after the judge said it was hard to believe some of the polling stations could return 100% votes for a candidate.

His lawyers and lawyers for the Electoral Commission last week filed separate review applications in the Supreme Court seeking leave to review the court decision.

However Mr Polye has told them he'd prefer to go straight for a by-election.

"I was going to seek a judicial review on the matter, based on very very strong advice from my lawyers and the Queen's Counsel, that there were some very glaring errors in the decision made but that does not really clear my name, does it? The only way to get my reputation restored, and that of the Electoral Commission, is by way of a by-election."

The by-election for the Kandep seat is scheduled for November 7th.