Security personnel

With a lot of law and order issues, especially from tribal fighting taking place in the province, PPC Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop said this festive season has been challenging.

Enga province has had its fair share of law and order issues, from mass killings to ethnic violent tensions, and now issues near the Porgera gold mine area, where illegal miners threaten workers’ safety.

According to sources on ground, the situation has remained unchanged since the killing of the police officers.

The two policemen were killed in a daylight ambush on Sept 30, 2017, while another officer was wounded.

In fear of their lives, Police in Mendi are now moving around in civilian wear.

Sources state that since the killing, Mendi is yet to see services return to normal.

Shopping centres, business houses, Air Niugini and even BSP remain closed, forcing public servants to travel out to other provinces to use and make transactions.

Member elect for Sinasina Yongumugl and leader of the PNG National Party Kerenga Kua said the presence of security personnel makes voters intimidated and sometimes scared of voting for the right leader.

In a media conference on Sunday in Port Moresby, Mr Kua said officers from the disciplinary forces have a duty to do and not to provide security during the election period.

He said elections must be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner and not with the presence of security personnel.

Enga regional candidate Robert Pati has called on electoral officials and security personnel deployed to conduct elections in the Highlands region to be on alert.

Pati said this following rumours of ballot papers floating around with some marked as legal and ready to be counted in favour of certain candidates.

Pati said to elect good leaders, the elections must be transparent and violence free.

He highlighted that voters must exercise their democratic rights without ballot papers being hijacked by desperate candidates.

Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, confirmed this today during a conference at the Police Headquarters in Port Moresby.

Baki said only a small contingent of defence and two sections of the mobile squad are still in the province.

The officers were pulled out for a couple of reasons; one of which is to reposition the men and prepare again for redeployment for the elections. The second reason is the issue of funding.

However, Baki says that will not stop them from going into phase two of the call-out operations, which will be the targeted operations in the province.