Judges reject Peter O’Neill’s bid to nullify election of PM James Marape

A five-man Supreme Court bench has refused a special constitutional reference which sought to nullify the election of Prime Minister James Marape.

The case was filed by Ialibu Pangia MP and former PM Peter O'Neill.

It also sought to nullify the election of National Parliament Speaker Job Pomat.

Mr O'Neill wanted the Supreme Court to rule on whether the recalling of Parliament by the head of state after the 2022 national election had breached certain provisions of the Constitution and organic law, or not.

After going through the arguments and submissions of the applicant and six interveners, a majority of the five judges refused to grant the order sought by Mr O’Neill, who was replaced as PM by Mr Marape in 2019.

Three of the judges ruled there was no breach of the Constitution when the first parliamentary sitting after last year’s national election was conducted on August 9, 2022.

Attorney General Nichodemus Mosoro, who was one of the interveners in the case, and who was present in court today, welcomed the ruling outside the courtroom.

He said the ruling meant the elections of the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister were done within the provisions of the Constitution.