80 Lives Lost In Kandep election related Fight

Will Kandep people learn from their actions for a better Kandep in future? Are the people at fault for taking law into their own hands pending the outcome of the election petition to declare the win of Don Polye null and void? Should there ever be a bye election, how safe will that be given the current situation. Will there ever be a better Kandep again after all these chaos? Have the people themselves lived in luxury to buy the weapons and ammunitions that they are using today and continuously for the last 5 months? The truth is....Innocent lives have been lost and there is NO WINNER in a fight and there is no special reward. We all have failed miserably in this area!!.

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80 lives lost in aftermath of poll violence

Source: The National, Monday 24th December, 2012

POLICE have urged political leaders from Enga to resolve the election-related violence in Kandep district, which has claimed 80 lives so far.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said despite fighting between supporters of two rival candidates stopping four months ago, it continued in isolated areas.
He said extra policemen were deployed to the district to maintain order but killings continued in isolated areas that police could not reach.
Lakari and Highlands police divisional commander Teddy Tei said it would be best for Kandep MP Don Polye to return home and talk to his people.
They believe that the violence is between Polye’s (supporters) and those of losing candidate Alfred Manase.
Police could not confirm how many people had died so far but sources have put the number at 80

Enga police get tough on drivers

Source: The National, Friday 21st December, 2012

ENGA police are now getting tough on drivers breaking traffic rules in the province.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said yesterday from Wabag that police had imposed K1,000 bail on drivers breaking traffic rules.
Lakari said out of 15 drivers arrested for overloading, drink driving and driving around in unregistered vehicles last week, one had to pay a K1,000 bail on Monday.
He said others would appear in the District Court to determine their fate or impose appropriate fines on them.
“I want to reduce fatal accidents in the province because last year and the previous year, we had a lot of fatal accidents during the festive season,” he said.
Lakari said police would ensure only road worthy vehicles travelled on the road.
He said because of the drivers’ carelessness fatal accidents happened and this had to stop.
“I want to warn drivers and vehicle owners to take extra precautions,” he said.
He said anyone seen breaking the traffic rules would face the full force of the law.
Lakari said police set 24-hour roadblocks at the border of Western Highlands and Enga near Kumul lodge and confiscated 100 cartons of beer and seven cartons of dark rum.
He said some people transported the alcohol on trucks into Enga to sell during the festive period when police confiscated them at the roadblock

Time govt move in to end tribal war

Source: The National, Friday 07th December, 2012

I CALL on the government to conduct an investigation into the number of people killed in Kan­-dep district following the recent general election.
The National has published several letters with regard to the election-related tribal war.
What I cannot understand is the deafening si­lence from the Kandep MP.
As a senior minister, Don Polye could have stepped in and put an end to the on-going war.
The same goes with the so-called “action governor”.
Why is Peter Ipatas so quiet too? Do not tell me that Ipatas and Polye are not concerned with the on-going war or the number of people who have lost their lives?
The PPC needs to send his men to Mariant LLG
to put an end to this fight. The tribal fight is between the Okul and Kamprip tribes.
The cause of this tribal war is not because of pigs, money, land, forest, wo­men or anything relating to tribal values and beliefs but over power. This has disrupted the lives of the innocent people of Mariant LLG.
The number of deaths cannot be confirmed be­cause no one from the police, Electoral Commission, justice department or Engan government has taken the initia­-tive to go there.
Kandep High School was forced to close while the multi-million kina wheat project was burnt.
I agree with Jerry Songpen (Nov 30) that the go­vernment must declare a state of emergency in Kandep.
Yand Kaiman
Mariant

Declare SOE in Kandep

Source: The National, Friday 30th of November, 2012

 

SINCE the declarations in July, a fierce tribal war has been raging in Kandep.
There has been destruction to local businesses, closure of government services and more than 70 people killed so far, with 57 deaths in Mariant LLG.
Students from schools in the war zone did not sit for their national examinations.
The multi-million kina Murip wheat project has been burnt down.
On Nov 26, one of the fiercest gun battles took place at Momdei village, resulting in four deaths.People are forced to seek shelter in Mendi, Wa­bag, Laia­gam, Wapenamanda, Mt Ha­gen and Hela.
I call on the Engan police, Kandep MP and other Engan leaders to help end the tribal war.
I also urge the prime minister and police mi­nister to declare a state of emergency to control the situation.

Jerry Songpen
Kambia village, Kandep