THE hearing of the claim of the candidate of the CARE-SIUP-SIPRA candidate for the Prime Ministership on May 2, Matthew Cooper Wale has been deferred to July 4.

It was initially scheduled to be heard before Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer at 9:30am yesterday. However, had to be rescheduled for July 4 because Wale’s lawyer Gabriel Suri was sick.

The Member of Parliament for Aoke-Langalanga has been reappointed as the Leader of Opposition after his unsuccessful bid for the top political leadership job. He received 18 votes during the Prime Ministerial Election, while the MP for Hograno-Kia-Havulei, Jeremiah Manele, received 31 votes. There was one absentee and that was the MP for Temotu VATUD, Freda Tuki who was stranded in her constituency after the Joint Election.

Wale is seeking various legal declarations concerning the validity of the Prime Ministerial Election.

The primary declaration being sought is an order declaring that the timeframe specified by the Governor General for the delivery of nomination papers for the Prime Ministerial Election from Monday April 29 at 10am to Tuesday 30 April at 4pm as outlined in the Election Notice issued by the Governor General on April 29 did not comply with the mandatory four-day period prescribed under Schedule 2, paragraph 1(b) of the Constitution.

Schedule 2, paragraph 1(b) of the Constitution stipulates the place, date, and time for the delivery of nomination papers to the Governor-General, which must not be later than four days before the scheduled election meeting.

Mr Suri had earlier stated that they will argue the inadequacy of the timeline, citing the constitutional requirement of a four-day period prior to the election date.

By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara