A petition for inquiry is currently awaiting the decision of the Chief Justice of the Niue High Court Craig Coxhead.
The petition which was filed by the former member of assembly for Mutalau Maureen Melekitama and five other electors was submitted to the court on 16th June.
The parties to these proceedings are the Chief Electoral Officer and the sitting MP for Mutalau Makaseau Ioane. The Chief Electoral Officer Darren Tohovaka is being represented by the Crown Law Office. The matter is now being considered by Chief Justice Coxhead in New Zealand. Because there is a conflict of interest by the Registrar who is also the CEO.
The petition is referred to the Chief Justice by a Court Registry Official within the Division on behalf of the Registrar.
The public were first made aware of the petition during the first sitting of the Fono Ekepule last Wednesday, when the new member from the village of Mutalau Makaseau Ioane in his maiden speech said that he had been informed of a petition filed to the Niue High Court.
The village seat of Mutalau was decided out of a hat earlier this month. This year is the second year in a row that this has happened. In the 2017 elections it was name of the former Member Maureen Melekitama which was drawn from the hat.