Ex-Madang governor calls PNG local government election delay 'unconstitutional'
Photo:
Raguel Kepas
A former governor of Madang in Papua New Guinea says the deferral of polling for the Local Level Government (LLG) election is unconstitutional and unfair.
NBC reports Peter Yama as saying that elections cannot be delayed once candidates have paid their nomination fees.
"The constitution gives you the right to contest," he said.
"The writs for the LLG election have been issued, and it is unconstitutional to defer it."
He said candidates have wasted their time, money, and resources campaigning, and the deferral is unfair to them.
He believes it is a slap in the face to the LLG candidates and shows the government does not care about the third-tier government election.
Last month, PNG's electoral commissioner Simon Sinai said there are a range of complex and unresolved administrative and fiscal challenges around the elections, which is why they have had to delay them.
The election office moved the LLG election back by two months; from 12 July to 27 September. The change also affects the date for the return of writs, which has been deferred from the 22 August to the 17th of November, 2025.
Sinai said the decision came after careful consideration and consultation with key stakeholders.
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