Prime Minister and Pangu Pati Leader James Marape says the Registrar of Political Parties has extended the deadline for MPs to declare their election financial returns by a month.
He said this today (November 9, 2022) in response to a front-page report in the Post-Courier that 91 MPs were yesterday (November 8, 2022) declared to have trespassed the Leadership Code by failing to declare their election financial returns.
The report claims that the MPs are “guilty of misconduct in office”. “The headline gives the impression that leaders deliberately didn’t file their returns,” PM Marape said.
“Contrary to this, we have been informed by the Registrar of Political Parties that there is a one-month extension for MPs to file their election financial returns, so the headline is misleading
“The winning MPs did not fail to comply with the deadline as the Registry of Political Parties has extended the deadline for filing of returns by a month.
“Most leaders, I am aware, are now working on completing their election financial returns.”
PM Marape said Pangu had over 50 MPs, and with late return of writs and many of them facing election petitions, everyone had sat together to complete their returns.
“The one-month extension notice ensures that all 50-plus Pangu MPs will complete their election financial returns,” he said.