_{by Ronald Toito’ona}

East Malaita MP Manasseh Maelanga is amongst 25 parliamentarians facing election petitions in the Solomon Islands High Court at the close of the petition period this afternoon. 

Maelanga retained the East Malaita seat for his fourth consecutive term in the April 17 national elections this year – polling 2,844 votes ahead of his runner-up Faabasua Manibili, who received 1,472 ballots. 

The petition against Maelanga was filed this afternoon in the High Court by one of the losing candidates, George Molakah Atoa, who collected 679 votes. 

Five candidates contested the East Malaita seat. 

Atoa confirmed to In-depth Solomons filing the case, clarifying that his petition is not about disputing the electoral outcome based on vote counting or the conduct of electoral officials. 

“Instead, the petition challenges the return of Maelanga as the elected MP on the grounds of alleged corrupt and illegal practices, through bribery,” Atoa explained. 

“I filed the petition not to claim the seat or anything to do with irregularities in counting or conducts of electoral officials, but to use my right to petition the return of Maelanga as the elected Member of Parliament for the constituency as I was one of the five candidates that contested,” he added. 

“Secondly, I filed the petition, as I am an original resident and I have the right to file the petition to challenge the return of Maelanga as the elected Member of Parliament for East Malaita Constituency (EMC) as I believed I have the right to a fair, free, and democratic election.  

“These corrupt and illegal practices have been prevalent and about time we put a stop to it,”  Atoa, a lawyer by profession, said. 

Atoa did not detail specific instances of corrupt or illegal practices in his initial statement. 

He has engaged L & L Lawyers. 

Another prominent MP facing a petition is former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare and the current deputy Prime Minister Bradley Tovosia. 

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