Murray queries Somare’s poll win
By TODAGIA KELOLA
DID the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare really win
the East Sepik Provincial seat in the 2007 National election?
This is the big question that is being asked by the runner up of the 2007 ESP Regional seat election, lawyer Moses Murray.
Mr Murray contends that information he has obtained from the PNG Electoral Commission clearly points out that there was an error in the counting process and as a result, Sir Michael was declared winner in an election which he (Murray) should have won.
Mr Murray made the damaging revelation following indications by the Grand Chief to contest his seat again in the coming elections. This is despite previous announcement of his intentions to retire from politics completely after this term of Parliament.
Sir Michael’s media mouthpiece and daughter, Bertha Somare when contacted and shown the documents that Mr Murray has provided, responded that ‘Mr Murray should have taken the matter to the court of disputed returns five years ago’.
“This is Mr Murray’s second election that he has lost, hopefully he’ll get lucky this election. Mr Murray should stop bad mouthing Sir Michael and go and prepare for the upcoming elections,” she said.
Mr Murray has in his possession a copy of all electoral documents pertaining to the primary and secondary elimination counts of the 11 candidates who contested for the East Sepik Provincial Seat.
“The documents showed there was no ninth (9th) exclusion of the candidate meaning that the ninth candidate to be eliminated, which was Greg Maison, was never eliminated to determine the winner from the two remaining contestants namely Sir Michael Somare and me,” Mr Murray said.
“Instead, all of Greg Maison’s ballot papers were taken to the exhausted table and ruled exhausted ballots by the electoral officers-in-charge of the counting at the relevant time in Kaindi Teachers College.”
He said at that time when his chief scrutineer Jethro Camillus noticed the alleged “foul play”, he called for proper counting of the 9th elimination ballots. The officers in the counting room simply replied that the people doing the count were too tired to do the 9th elimination count and that Somare had won again. Upon Camillus’ further insistence on this issue, Mr Camillus was told by Mr Leo Kabilo (then PPC) to advise Mr Murray to take the matter to court as Sir Michael had won again.
He alleged that there was massive influence by outsiders in the counting room which caused the counting officers to keep quiet about the “biggest foul play” by election officers at Kaindi Teachers College.
“In fact the counting was deliberately stopped for two hours during which time a ‘top level’ meeting between East Sepik Provincial Administration personnel and Electoral Officers took place secretively within the counting premises which resulted in the movement of all ballots to the exhausted ballots table without adhering to a strong request from Jethro Camillus.”
“Mr Murray said that such ‘foul play’ was rife in the various counting places in Wewak in 2007 National General Elections.
“Another such case was the case relating to Dr Moses Manwau in which a ballot box severely tampered with by a particular polling official was questioned in the counting room and no proper and lawful decision was made with respect to removal of the ballot box from counting.
“The contents of the said ballot were counted and results added onto the main tally when it should not have been counted.
“It was until the matter finally got to the Supreme Court for a review of the National Court’s Decision that the contents of the said alleged ballot box was ruled not to be counted. Hence Dr Moses was declared in place of Jim Simatab as Wewak Open member.”
This is the big question that is being asked by the runner up of the 2007 ESP Regional seat election, lawyer Moses Murray.
Mr Murray contends that information he has obtained from the PNG Electoral Commission clearly points out that there was an error in the counting process and as a result, Sir Michael was declared winner in an election which he (Murray) should have won.
Mr Murray made the damaging revelation following indications by the Grand Chief to contest his seat again in the coming elections. This is despite previous announcement of his intentions to retire from politics completely after this term of Parliament.
Sir Michael’s media mouthpiece and daughter, Bertha Somare when contacted and shown the documents that Mr Murray has provided, responded that ‘Mr Murray should have taken the matter to the court of disputed returns five years ago’.
“This is Mr Murray’s second election that he has lost, hopefully he’ll get lucky this election. Mr Murray should stop bad mouthing Sir Michael and go and prepare for the upcoming elections,” she said.
Mr Murray has in his possession a copy of all electoral documents pertaining to the primary and secondary elimination counts of the 11 candidates who contested for the East Sepik Provincial Seat.
“The documents showed there was no ninth (9th) exclusion of the candidate meaning that the ninth candidate to be eliminated, which was Greg Maison, was never eliminated to determine the winner from the two remaining contestants namely Sir Michael Somare and me,” Mr Murray said.
“Instead, all of Greg Maison’s ballot papers were taken to the exhausted table and ruled exhausted ballots by the electoral officers-in-charge of the counting at the relevant time in Kaindi Teachers College.”
He said at that time when his chief scrutineer Jethro Camillus noticed the alleged “foul play”, he called for proper counting of the 9th elimination ballots. The officers in the counting room simply replied that the people doing the count were too tired to do the 9th elimination count and that Somare had won again. Upon Camillus’ further insistence on this issue, Mr Camillus was told by Mr Leo Kabilo (then PPC) to advise Mr Murray to take the matter to court as Sir Michael had won again.
He alleged that there was massive influence by outsiders in the counting room which caused the counting officers to keep quiet about the “biggest foul play” by election officers at Kaindi Teachers College.
“In fact the counting was deliberately stopped for two hours during which time a ‘top level’ meeting between East Sepik Provincial Administration personnel and Electoral Officers took place secretively within the counting premises which resulted in the movement of all ballots to the exhausted ballots table without adhering to a strong request from Jethro Camillus.”
“Mr Murray said that such ‘foul play’ was rife in the various counting places in Wewak in 2007 National General Elections.
“Another such case was the case relating to Dr Moses Manwau in which a ballot box severely tampered with by a particular polling official was questioned in the counting room and no proper and lawful decision was made with respect to removal of the ballot box from counting.
“The contents of the said ballot were counted and results added onto the main tally when it should not have been counted.
“It was until the matter finally got to the Supreme Court for a review of the National Court’s Decision that the contents of the said alleged ballot box was ruled not to be counted. Hence Dr Moses was declared in place of Jim Simatab as Wewak Open member.”
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