Pacific / Papua New Guinea

Kandep MP wins review of recount decision

10:29 am on 30 September 2019

The member for the Kandep seat in Papua New Guinea's Enga province has won Supreme Court leave to review the decision to have a recount of the 2017 result.

A tentative date of June 15th 2019 has been set for a referendum on possible independence in the Autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades

That decision was granted in July, with the vote to have happened within 60 days.

The recount request flowed from an electoral petition, brought by Don Polye, but MP Alfred Manase had sought a review.

The result in the election in Kandep had sparked deadly violence among each the supporters of both men.

Mr Polye had challenged the result, claiming irregularities occurred throughout the vote process.

Mr Manase's lawyer Kristine Copeland said in the original National Court decision none of the allegations against her client were upheld.

"We filed a review in the Supreme Court because we believed that the decision had some issues and the application for leave to review was granted and the review will proceed."