Bird warns of legal risks to 60 seats

East Sepik Governor Allan Bird says electoral boundary errors affecting 60 parliamentary seats must be addressed urgently to avoid possible legal challenges ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Govenor Bird raised the concerns in Parliament, citing information presented last week by Electoral Commissioner Professor Nicole Haley to the Special Parliamentary Committee on Elections, which he chairs.

Governor Bird said the Electoral Commission could not correct the errors on its own under the law and might need to seek an interpretation of the Organic Law from the Supreme Court if a new Boundaries Commission was not established.

He warned that a court ruling against the boundaries could affect the legal standing of the electorates concerned.

Prime Minister James Marape acknowledged the boundary concerns but said the Government was considering how to address them through the required processes.

Mr Marape said the K150 million allocated through the supplementary budget, in addition to K50 million already provided, would support the Electoral Commission's work. He said the additional funding could include work to address electoral boundary issues if required.