Post Courier
SEVEN councillors from Mt Hagen Urban LLG have
questioned the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs on
the status of councillors who were declared before the electoral commission’s
decision to fail 19 LLGs in the Highlands region.
Yesterday, Department Secretary Munare Uyassi announced through a circular and the media that the old councillors and presidents in the 24 failed LLGs will continue to hold assembly and be members of their joint district planning committees.
The seven councillors said this was confusing and a recipe for disaster.
The councillors held a press conference where they said they were democratically elected and duly recognised as councillors in their wards. The announcement by the Secretary of the Department of Provincial and LLG Affairs was creating confusion.
“We are asking the Secretary and the Electoral Commission to explain whether our council wards will be excluded from the planned supplementary elections,” they said.
“What will be the arrangement? We have been legitimately voted in by the people and declared winners by election officials before the declaration of the failed elections.”
Councillors Thomas Wane, Newman Affen, William George, Wani Barr, Karo and Tapus said their declaration was valid and that they should be sworn into their respective LLG assemblies.
“If that does not happen,than the responsible officers or any higher authority must inform us of what we are expected to do,” the councillors said.
They said they were not ready to run for elections again and were prepared to protect and defend their win in the courts.
Mr Barr said their duties were to serve the needs of the people in their council wards and that must not be hindered.
Yesterday, Department Secretary Munare Uyassi announced through a circular and the media that the old councillors and presidents in the 24 failed LLGs will continue to hold assembly and be members of their joint district planning committees.
The seven councillors said this was confusing and a recipe for disaster.
The councillors held a press conference where they said they were democratically elected and duly recognised as councillors in their wards. The announcement by the Secretary of the Department of Provincial and LLG Affairs was creating confusion.
“We are asking the Secretary and the Electoral Commission to explain whether our council wards will be excluded from the planned supplementary elections,” they said.
“What will be the arrangement? We have been legitimately voted in by the people and declared winners by election officials before the declaration of the failed elections.”
Councillors Thomas Wane, Newman Affen, William George, Wani Barr, Karo and Tapus said their declaration was valid and that they should be sworn into their respective LLG assemblies.
“If that does not happen,than the responsible officers or any higher authority must inform us of what we are expected to do,” the councillors said.
They said they were not ready to run for elections again and were prepared to protect and defend their win in the courts.
Mr Barr said their duties were to serve the needs of the people in their council wards and that must not be hindered.
No comments:
Post a Comment