PNG: More pre-election violence claims three lives

Eddie Mosses

PORT MORESBY (The National / Pacific Media Watch): One man was shot dead by police in the Southern Highlands’ Nipa district yesterday at a political rally and two others were reported to have been shot by a candidate outside Kagua district station on Tuesday, The National reports.

The National reporter James Gumuno witnessed the shooting of the man at Nipa station yesterday as more than 10,000 people waited in vain for the arrival of Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah for a rally organised by sitting MP and PNG Party member Philemon Embel.

The victim, acting as if he was intoxicated, was said to have disturbed the gathering and was warned by police. He later returned with a bush knife and was threatening people when the police intervened.

He was shot in the lower abdomen and rushed to Mendi General Hospital in a police car but succumbed to his injuries en route, Gumuno said.

'Stay calm'
Regional candidate Fred Tomo, who is related to the dead man, moved quickly to urge his tribesmen not to retaliate.

Two other men had reportedly been shot dead just outside Kagua station on Tuesday.

Both men were killed when shots were fired from a vehicle carrying a candidate for the Kagua-Erave seat at Turiri village, just outside Kagua station.

The killing was alleged to be election-related and the bodies of the dead have been transferred to the Mendi General Hospital.

A source phoned in from Kagua and said the situation was tense but calm as security forces were already on the ground investigating.

The source said relatives of the dead man had demanded the arrest of the candidate (named) immediately. They claimed the candidate had built up a stock of firearms in the lead-up to the elections and wanted the security forces to locate and confiscate the firearms.

Kagua-Erave MP Aiya James Lagea, when contacted, said he would not comment at this stage.

Peace disrupted
He said campaigning had been relatively peaceful without any major incidents until now.

“It is the desire of the people in the electorate that polling is not disrupted.”

Lagea said he had made arrangements for the bodies to be transferred to the Goroka Funeral Home.

Funeral rites and burial would be held after the elections.

Police could not be reached last night for comments on the shooting.

These killings were the first reported out of the volatile Southern Highlands province which had experienced a peaceful election campaign period since the opening of nominations.

The killings bring to five the number of deaths following the earlier killings in Jimi’s Tabibuga district station and another at Chimbu’s Kerowagi district.

Police were yet to report on the progress of investigations into the earlier killings.

PNG election: June 23-July 6.