Transcript
GARY BAKI - Things have settled. The place is quiet but the tension is still very, very high, knowing the fact that the incident that happened on Saturday resulted in the death of two police officers and so the tension is still very, very high within, in and around, the community and among the warring supporters of both (Kandep Open seat) candidates (Don Polye and Alfred Manase). So we're managing it in the sense that I've had a long meeting with the provincial administrator, the provincial returning officer and all the security heads, my officers on the ground, to work out a way forward. So what we've done, the counting has actually recommenced yesterday in Wabag. I have given instructions for them to ensure that the other seats in Wabag, at least attention is focused on that to get it out of the way so then we can concentrate on the Kandep seat, the very hot one. Because of the tension that is brewing up. What I've said to our people on the ground is just do the easier ones (seats) and get them out of the way because their elimination process is almost complete. get them out of the way so we can focus no Kandep. Not necessarily leaving Kandep out, but just so that we have a lot of people available for us to deal in the event that another situation develops.
JOHNNY BLADES - Were you able to talk to either of the two main rival candidates' groups?
GB - Not in my short visit up there. As I understand both of these candidates are down in port Moresby. But the supporters of these candidates... I have requested the police in Enga and the provincial administration to use their provincial network to do a lot of public awareness to the people, so that's what's been going on in the last couple of days.
JB - Because there are a lot of armed men in Wabag town who have come from outside the town, haven't they?
GB - Yes, it's quite difficult for police to detect any of these people carrying firearms... because of the locality, the geography, the resources available and the movement of people - we cannot really keep track of them.
JB - And there's some troubles over in Mt Hagen to do with the election as well. There's been some disruptions, do you know what's happening there?
GB - Yes, I'm speaking to you from Goroka. I was going to fly out of Hagen (where the airport has been blockaded) but I cannot. Basically there are some disgruntled supporters of one of the losing candidates, and they petitioned the electoral commissioner with regards to… I think there are 24 ballot boxes that have not been counted for Mt Hagen Open seat. And what they demanded was they wanted those boxes to be counted. It's quite impossible at this point in time because the writs have been returned to the electoral commissioner. Police cannot really do anything at all. Our police in Mt Hagen are talking to the people to try and appreciate the fact that the electoral process has nothing to do with the operations of the airport in Mt Hagen. There's a lot of inconvenience to the travelling public, and the candidates are told to take some responsibility and ensure that the airport is not closed. So this morning when I came out they were still there on the ground. Police are keeping an eye on that. But we are expecting a lot of interventions from the provincial administration. I do not want to use force, in a sense, to move people out of the airport because it can trigger off negative reactions and negative perceptions.
JB - So they're blockading Kagamuga airport, the supporters of the disgruntled candidate, at the moment?
GB - Yes, not on the runway, but in the entrance going in to the terminal area. That's where they're blocking, they're blocking the road area there. But we have police and defense force personnel on the ground observing that.
JB - It's pretty difficult, isn't it, for the security forces trying to keep the peace when emotions are running high among supporters of some candidates? You have to kind of walk that fine line, don't you, try and talk to people, but they're very pent up at this time?
GB - Yes that's correct. It's very thin line. And our people have been stretched to the limit, considering that this is their work right throughout, prior to the elections, during elections and now counting, and going into the process after the election. So the appeal we keep giving to our people is to respect the process of the elections. But there is a lot of negativity in terms of… you know, people, considering that all their candidates need to win the election. There can only be one person winning the election, not all. And I think that's the misconception and misunderstanding of a lot of our people, particularly… not so much in other parts of the country, but in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea.
JB - But isn't it also about that they have lost respect for the process in this election because they perceive there is unfairness in it?
GB - Well, I know there is a lot of issues that have been raised particularly in the elections, and directed to electoral commission. These are the issues that we've been confronted with, and in my view it needs to be corrected. I know it's to late to do anything because we've gone through the process of this election, and a lot of the seats have been declared now. And I hope that the issues that have been raised and confronted during elections are those that we have to pay particular attention to after the elections.
