Student killed at election campaign rally in Lae
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Student killed at
election campaign rally in Lae
PORT MORESBY: A student died after he was beten up
during a General Election 2022 (GE22) campaign rally in Lae – taking the
country’s GE22-related violence and deaths toll to 30.
Metropolitan Commander
Chief Suput Chris Kunyanban has warned campaign rally organisers to plan their
gatherings wisely in regards to timing and security, to minimise law and order
issues.
“We cannot stop
political rallies as the candidates, supporters as well as political parties
have the right to host them. But they have to try as much as possible to avoid
crimes being committed at rallies,” he added.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few General Election 2022 news updates as published by The National:
Student killed at
campaign rally
June 22, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
A STUDENT died after
he was beaten up during a General Election 2022 (GE22) campaign in Lae – taking
to 30 all election-related deaths so far as reported by the media.
Metropolitan police commander Chief Supt Chris Kunyanban has warned campaign
rally organisers to plan their gatherings wisely in regards to timing and
security, to minimise law and order issues.
“We cannot stop political rallies as the candidates, supporters as well as
political parties have the right to host them. But they have to try as much as
possible to avoid crimes being committed there,” he said.
Kunyanban said the grade eight student attending a primary school in Lae was
beaten to death during a rally camp at the Papuan Compound last Sunday
afternoon.
He said the student, who was allegedly drunk, had an argument with a vendor
when he tried to steal a packet of cigarette.
“He (also) had an argument with youths at the Papuan Compound who were also
(drunk),” he said.
He was bashed up and placed at a rally house.
Later when people realised that he had stopped moving, they alerted police who
took him to the Angau Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“The public at the moment will always blame the rally for the law and order
problems that may occur, but some of the crimes are not connected.”
Kunyanban said some attended such rallies to listen to candidates while others
were “opportunists”.
The other 29 who died included:
- ON June 10, a clash between
rival supporters of candidates in Kainantu, Eastern Highlands resulted in
two men being shot dead, several were critically injured and four vehicles
torched;
- ON June 12 a truck full of
campaign supporters plunged down a cliff on the Tomba Freeway in Western
Highlands’ Nebilyer. Sixteen people died. They were on their way to
Tambul-Nebilyer MP Win Bakri Daki’s campaign base with food;
- ON June 4 two brothers rowed
over the construction of a rally grandstand resulting in one stabbing the
other to death in Southern Highlands;
- ON June 2 a man died after he
fell off a vehicle full of political campaign supporters in a rally in
Wau, Morobe;
- ALSO in June, East Sepik
commander Superintendent Albert Beli said seven people were killed in a
fight between Murik settlers and Mengar; and,
- ON May 26, two men were shot dead in a clash between supporters of two political parties in Morobe’s Huon Gulf.
’17 roll OK for ’22: Sinai
June 22, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
“In 2022 we did not make a new roll,” Sinai told a radio talkback show last
week.
“We maintained the existing one we used in 2017.
“If you voted in 2017, your name is still on the common roll.
“People might misunderstand that we made a new roll and people who voted last
election will miss out this time.
“We did not do a new roll.
“We only maintained the existing one.
“We maintained it by sending a copy to the council wards to check and
maintain.”
Sinai said they used the target of a three per cent growth rate to include
people who had turned 18 over the last five years who were eligible to vote.
“Last election, it was five million people, now it’s (additional) 750,000
eligible (voters),” he said.
“So now we looking at close to 5.7 million eligible voters.”
Sinai said the common roll with other materials to be used in the election were
sent to the provinces since last week.
People, he said, could go to the Electoral Commission Office to check if their name
is on the common roll before polling begins on July 4.
However, Sinai said the enrolment of new names onto the common roll closed last
month when the writs were issued.
“The maintained roll is updated and ready and has already been sent to the
provinces to be used during the polling,” he said.
Sinai added that polling teams would be sent to the provinces on July 2 in
preparation for polling.
More than 500,000 to use updated roll: Kaupa
MORE than 500,000
eligible voters in Eastern Highlands are expected to use the updated electoral
roll on July 9, provincial election manager Gore Kaupa says.
Kaupa expressed confidence that updating of electoral roll for Eastern
Highlands was accurately done, listing males and females separately.
He said every polling place would have separate polling booths for male and
female voters.
Kaupa said separate voting was trialled in the Goroka by-election and a few
Local Level Government (LLG) by-elections and proved successful.
He said the updated electoral roll for 2022 was ready.
“Ballot papers are not money, ballot papers are not guns even ballot papers
cannot start a fight, it is the behaviour and attitude of candidates and
supporters that will fail elections,”Kaupa said.
“I urge every candidate, supporter and voter to vote peacefully, it is each and
everyone’s democratic right to vote for their own choices, voters rights must
be respected,” Kaupa said.
He said campaigning would stop on July 8.
However, Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai stated on a radio talkback show
that the updated electoral roll for 2017 would be used in this election.
Single mum runs for provincial seat
Lone female candidate
contesting the Jiwaka provincial seat, Martha Kupul, (middle) with two of her
supporters in traditional dress at a rally in Banz town, Jiwaka last week –
Picture supplied
SINGLE mum of six Martha Kupul says lack of
service delivery over the past 10 years prompted her to contest the Jiwaka
regional seat.
Martha, a senior political scientist and geologist by profession, is one of the
28 candidates vying for the seat and is the only woman to do so in General
Election 2022 (GE22).
She is running as an Independent candidate
The 46-year-old researcher from Banz, North Waghi, said she was tired of seeing
how there was no development taking place at the new Kurumul provincial
headquarters.
“I have travelled the length and breadth of most of the rural areas in my
province and have witnessed first-hand the suffering of the people,” she said.
“I have seen and experienced the challenges imposed by a lack of basic social,
economic and infrastructural services in the most remote parts of the province,
driving increased rates of poverty, morbidity and mortality,” she said.
She previously worked as a senior social scientist and project coordinator with
the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Institute of Medical Research for Sexual and
Reproductive Health as a researcher for 15 years.
She believes that it is because of a gross misuse of public funds at the
provincial level over the past 10 years, in the provinces’ young history, that
there is hardly any tangible development on the ground to show for the money
invested by the Government.
’17 roll OK for ’22:
Sinai
June 22, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
“In 2022 we did not make a new roll,” Sinai told a radio talkback show last
week.
“We maintained the existing one we used in 2017.
“If you voted in 2017, your name is still on the common roll.
“People might misunderstand that we made a new roll and people who voted last
election will miss out this time.
“We did not do a new roll.
“We only maintained the existing one.
“We maintained it by sending a copy to the council wards to check and
maintain.”
Sinai said they used the target of a three per cent growth rate to include
people who had turned 18 over the last five years who were eligible to vote.
“Last election, it was five million people, now it’s (additional) 750,000
eligible (voters),” he said.
“So now we looking at close to 5.7 million eligible voters.”
Sinai said the common roll with other materials to be used in the election were
sent to the provinces since last week.
People, he said, could go to the Electoral Commission Office to check if their name
is on the common roll before polling begins on July 4.
However, Sinai said the enrolment of new names onto the common roll closed last
month when the writs were issued.
“The maintained roll is updated and ready and has already been sent to the
provinces to be used during the polling,” he said.
Sinai added that polling teams would be sent to the provinces on July 2 in
preparation for polling.
More than 500,000 to use updated roll: Kaupa
MORE than 500,000
eligible voters in Eastern Highlands are expected to use the updated electoral
roll on July 9, provincial election manager Gore Kaupa says.
Kaupa expressed confidence that updating of electoral roll for Eastern
Highlands was accurately done, listing males and females separately.
He said every polling place would have separate polling booths for male and
female voters.
Kaupa said separate voting was trialled in the Goroka by-election and a few
Local Level Government (LLG) by-elections and proved successful.
He said the updated electoral roll for 2022 was ready.
“Ballot papers are not money, ballot papers are not guns even ballot papers
cannot start a fight, it is the behaviour and attitude of candidates and
supporters that will fail elections,”Kaupa said.
“I urge every candidate, supporter and voter to vote peacefully, it is each and
everyone’s democratic right to vote for their own choices, voters rights must
be respected,” Kaupa said.
He said campaigning would stop on July 8.
However, Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai stated on a radio talkback show
that the updated electoral roll for 2017 would be used in this election.
Single mum runs for provincial seat
SINGLE mum of six Martha Kupul says lack of
service delivery over the past 10 years prompted her to contest the Jiwaka
regional seat.
Martha, a senior political scientist and geologist by profession, is one of the
28 candidates vying for the seat and is the only woman to do so in General
Election 2022 (GE22).
She is running as an Independent candidate
The 46-year-old researcher from Banz, North Waghi, said she was tired of seeing
how there was no development taking place at the new Kurumul provincial
headquarters.
“I have travelled the length and breadth of most of the rural areas in my
province and have witnessed first-hand the suffering of the people,” she said.
“I have seen and experienced the challenges imposed by a lack of basic social,
economic and infrastructural services in the most remote parts of the province,
driving increased rates of poverty, morbidity and mortality,” she said.
She previously worked as a senior social scientist and project coordinator with
the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Institute of Medical Research for Sexual and
Reproductive Health as a researcher for 15 years.
She believes that it is because of a gross misuse of public funds at the
provincial level over the past 10 years, in the provinces’ young history, that
there is hardly any tangible development on the ground to show for the money
invested by the Government.
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