Aten v National Election Commissioner [1993] FMSC 12; 6 FSM Intrm. 038 (App. 1993) (13 April 1993)

6 FSM Intrm. 38 (App. 1993)

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA
SUPREME COURT APPELLATE DIVISION

APPEAL CASE NO. C1-1993

GERHART ATEN
Appellant

vs.

NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSIONER,
CHUUK STATE and KALISTO REFALOPEI
as Real Party in Interest,
Appellees.

ORDER DENYING MOTION

Richard H. Benson
Associate Justice

Decided: April 13, 1993

APPEARANCES:

For the Appellant: Thomas Sterling, Esq., Klemm, Blair, Sterling & Johnson
For the Appellee: Douglas J. Juergens, Esq., Chief of Litigation, Office of the FSM Attorney General
For the Appellee: Johnny Meippen, Esq., (Real Party in Interest) Weno, Chuuk FM 96942

HEADNOTE

Elections
When an appellant seeks to have an election set aside and done over due to irregularities not correctable by a recount the appeal is timely filed if it is filed within one week of the certification of the results of the election. This is the same filing time frame as for a recount. Aten v. National Election Comm'r (I), 6 FSM Intrm. 38, 39 (App. 1993).

COURT'S OPINION

RICHARD H. BENSON, Associate Justice:

This case came before the court on the motion of Kalisto Refalopei filed April 6, 1993, and the motion of the National Election Commissioner filed April 7, 1993 for an order dismissing the appeal on the ground that it was not filed on time. The appellant has filed his opposition to the motion first filed.

The appellees rely on 9 F.S.M.C. 902 which states in part:

Filing time frames. A petition for a recount must be filed within 1 week of certification of the results of the election. Any other petition challenging the acceptability of a vote or votes must be filed prior to certification of the results of the election or within 1 week of the election, whichever occurs first . . . .

The appellees point out that since the election was held on March 2 and the results certified on March 12, the appellant's time to appeal according to this provision, ended March 9, 1993.

The argument overlooks 9 F.S.M.C. 906, which provides in part:

Irregularities not correctable by recount. In the event of election irregularities which cannot be corrected by recount, a candidate may petition for an election to be set aside and done over, either in a district as a whole or in the portion thereof where the irregularities took place. The procedures for the filing of such petition, action thereon, and appeal of its denial shall be the same as such procedures for a petition for recount. . . .

Id. (emphasis added).

The appellant is asking that the election be set aside and done over, and thus had one week after certification to appeal, as provided for in the first sentence of section 902.

For the reason stated, the motions are denied.