By Greg Bouwer on J-Wire…
New Zealand’s Chief Ombudsman has concluded that the Electoral Commission’s decision to register the Free Palestine Party was “not unreasonable,” following a complaint that challenged the Commission’s interpretation of the Electoral Act and raised national-security concerns.
The finding follows an urgent complaint lodged by Auckland lawyer Ian Dunwoodie after the Electoral Commission announced on 5 August that it had registered the Free Palestine Party (FPP) as a political party under the Electoral Act 1993.
Dunwoodie had objected to the party’s registration during the Commission’s public consultation process, arguing the FPP had failed to satisfy the Act’s registration requirements. After the Commission proceeded with registration, he referred the matter to the Ombudsman.
“My investigation concerned the Electoral Commission’s decision to register the Free Palestine Party,” the Ombudsman advised. “I have now formed the final opinion that the Commission’s decision was not unreasonable.”
That finding settles the specific challenge Dunwoodie put to the Ombudsman: his complaint against the reasonableness of the registration decision has been unsuccessful.
Read the full story J-Wire HERE.
