Papua New Guinea shamed internationally
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Papua New Guinea shamed
internationally
PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea (PNG) was shamed
internationally yesterday when General Election 2022 (GE22) candidates’
supporters turned the streets in the federal capital Port Moresby into a battle
field.
Innocent people ran
helter-skelter as political supporters wielding bush knives started chasing and
slashing people indiscriminately on the streets in front of City Hall (the
National Capital District Commission building) at about 2.30pm.
People were seen running
into the nearby Vision City Shopping Mall
for refuge as the assailants went about slashing their victims who
collapsed on the spot.
The uncivilised electoral
violence started at the nearby Sir John Guise Stadium where counting of GE22
ballots were in progress for Moresby North-East.
Police said the
knife-wielding assailants were supporters of two candidates and at least two
were wounded.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below the news break and a few GE22 news updates as published by The National:
Global shame
July 25, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
PAPUA New Guinea was
shamed internationally yesterday when General Election 2022 (GE22) candidates’
supporters turned the streets in the federal capital Port Moresby into a
battlefield.
Innocent people ran helter-skelter as political supporters wielding bush knives
started chasing and slashing people indiscriminately on the streets in front of
City Hall (the National Capital District Commission building) at about 2.30pm.
People were seen
running into the compound of the nearby Vision City Mega Mall for refuge as the
assailants went about slashing their victims who collapsed on the spot.
The uncivilised electoral violence started at the nearby Sir John Guise Stadium
where counting of GE22 ballots were in progress for the Moresby North-East
electorate.
Police said the knife-wielding offenders were supporters of two candidates and
at least two were wounded.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Wagambie Jnr, who is in-charge of the
NCD/Central command, said the victims were taken to hospital for treatment and the
police investigation team were in contact with them and statements would be
collected.
It is understood that the supporters of the candidates fought over claims of
“foul play” inside the venue where counting for the electorate was taking place
and spilled out into the main road, as men slashed each other.
According to a video
of the incident, a group of men were seen being chased by another group of men
armed with bush knives at the foot bridge along Waigani Drive.
A group of men were seen slashing two men on the roadside at the intersection
between the National Capital District (NCD) City Hall and the stadium.
This reporter from The National was at the scene after the running battle and
saw police, PNG Defence Force and Correctional Service officers attending to
the incident.
Security personnel blocked off all exits to find the perpetrators who had fled
when the security forces arrived.
Attempts made to get comment from the NCD election manager and returning
officer of the electorate were futile.
Wagambie said security personnel had responded immediately when notified.
He said a cluster of makeshift tents set up outside the stadium were removed by
the security forces.
“In the process of doing so, knives, clubs and
other weapons were found and confiscated,” he said.
“The altercation and violence had put lives of the innocent public in danger.
“We must understand that while the election process is taking place, people
must be free to move about their normal activities without the fear of
violence.
“After police dispersed the people, a suspicious vehicle was stopped and
searched in which a bundle of bush knives was found.
The vehicle was taken to the Waigani Police Station and nine male occupants
were detained.
They will be arrested and charged.”
Wagambie said people camping outside the Pacific Institute of Leadership and
Governance (Moresby North-West counting) premises and the Rita Flynn Sports
Complex (Moresby South and NCD regional counting) were ordered to leave as a
security measure against violence.
Public safety is our paramount interest.” NCD city manager Ravu Frank described
the fight as disturbing.
Frank commended the swift intervention of the security personnel, who prevented
the trouble escalating and perhaps worse consequences.
MP: Arrest
perpetrators
July 25, 2022The NationalMain Stories
“Two of my men were kidnapped by rival candidate supporters and beaten up in
Eastern Highlands.
“They were kidnapped by a policeman from Port Moresby and two of his relatives,”
he added.
Ghate, who is the Daulo MP said, it was very disappointing that one of these
kidnappers was a policeman.
“Why are police helping candidates to go around and threaten other candidates
and their supporters?
“The leader of my family, clan, tribe, community and electorate will not
tolerate GE22-related violence and intimidation.
“I have already written to the police commissioner (David Manning), the
provincial police commander (Superintendent Michael Welly) to look into this. I
fear more intimidation and harassment against my supporters, my family,
clansmen and tribesman.
“We will not retaliate. We have already laid a formal complaint with police and
we call for the immediate arrest of the kidnappers who assaulted my men,” he
added. Welly confirmed receiving the complaint and said that his office had
received many GE22-related violence complaints and would be investigating all.
Police ramp up operations in Mendi
Security personnel
checking scrutineers and the counting officials before they go into the
counting room at the Momei Oval in Mendi town last week. – Picture supplied.
CHECKS on vehicles and
people entering Southern Highlands and into Mendi town is critical to the
security of counting for the province in the General Election 2022 (GE22), a
senior police officer says.
Provincial police commander Chief Inspector Daniel Yangen said checkpoints had
been set up within the township to monitor movement of people around the town.
Vehicles are also being checked to ensure no offensive weapons are brought in
during the counting and declaration.
“The people of Southern Highlands had a peaceful polling and I expect the same
to be maintained during counting and declaration.”
Ballot box tampering is a crime: Manning
POLICE Commissioner David Manning says that
any person or group that tries to tamper with or remove ballot boxes will be
arrested and locked up.
Manning said yesterday that tampering with ballot boxes was a criminal offence.
As the election moves towards a conclusion, Manning said the Joint Security
Task Force (JSTF) was preventing attempts to undermine fair and democratic
process by tampering with ballot boxes and making arrests.
“We have zero tolerance to any deliberate attempt to derail the lawful
democratic process in this final phase,” he said.
“The JSTF is ensuring the integrity of ballot boxes so that they can be
delivered to counting centres and that the ballot papers inside remain secure.
“The risk that we are countering are various individuals with desperate intent
to disrupt counting and the accurate distribution of votes.
“Arrests have already been made when people have tried to undermine the
democratic process by interfering with ballot boxes.
“Our citizens have voted and they deserve to have their votes counted, not
hijacked by ‘rent-a-mobs’ who are only interested in personal gain.
“I call on every candidate and their supporters to be vigilant, and in the
event that they see irregularities to bring this to the attention of police
immediately,” he said.
Manning said it could not be said often enough that people undermining the
democratic process by tampering with ballots and ballot boxes were committing a
crime.
“It is surprising that some who have been caught trying to tamper with ballot
boxes do not realise it is a serious criminal offence.
“Some of these people treat ballot boxes tampering as just part of the
election, this is typically because they have been misled by people who know
better,” he said.
“Tampering with ballot boxes goes against our democracy, and it undermines our
national right to have every vote counted in this election.
“My message is simple, if you try to tamper with ballot boxes you will be
caught and you will face the full force of the criminal justice system,”
Manning said.
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