The Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai recently said that By Elections for Three vacant seats in Parliament will be held before march this year.
The three vacant seats include Madang in Madang Province, Maprik in East Sepik Province, and Dei Council in Western Highlands Province.
The Electoral Commissioner recently said that the Commission is working on the budget for the By Elections and will submit it once it is ready to the Finance and Treasury Department for funding.
He affirmed that the estimated budget for the 3 By-Elections is around K15 Million.
Mr. Sinai emphasized that by-elections are brought on by three main factors,
- When a serving member of parliament passes on
- When a leadership tribunal dismisses a member of parliament from holding public office, and
- When a court of disputed returns nullifies an election result.
He added by highlighting that Parliamentary seats effectively become vacant as soon as the speaker of Parliament makes the announcement of vacancies in Parliament.
Sinai reiterated that the seat of Madang became vacant after the decision of the leadership tribunal to dismiss incumbent MP Brian Kramer from holding public office after he was found guilty of charges laid against him.
Meanwhile, the seats of Maprik and Dei Council Open electorates became vacant following deaths of the Incumbent MPs; late Gabriel Kapris for Maprik and late Steven Pim for Dei Council.
