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The Hela people must not be denied
Candidates from the Hela region and
their supporters who are responsible for keeping the ballot boxes
containing votes for the Hela people in Tari must now heed the
call of justice and allow the boxes to be taken into Mendi for
counting.
Since polling ended last week in that province, 253 ballot boxes
have been held in Tari, in defiance of a clear direction by the
Electoral Commission for boxes to be brought to the provincial
headquarters, Mendi.
The boxes contain over 200,000 votes for people in Komo, Magarima,
Tari, Pori, Awi, Koroba, and Lake Kopiago.
It is such a big number it is sufficient to affect the outcome of
an election if these votes are not counted at all.
We are told a handful of candidates and their supporters have used
force, or have threatened to use force, to prevent the boxes from
being moved from Tari, with a section of the crowd allegedly
making remarks that they are prepared to put their lives on the
line for the boxes.
It is accepted that the Hela are a proud people who have been
pushing for a province of their own for as long as
the country has been independent.
The majority of Hela people have been disappointed of late that
the seventh Parliament has been unable to address this issue they
way they want it – to give them a province of their own before the
2007 general election.
The Hela region is home to many of PNG’s hydro-carbon projects
which are generating a large portion of revenue for PNG’s budget.
People there are law abiding citizens who are proud of the Huli
tradition.
The region has supplied businessmen and women, professionals, and
leaders of all walks of life.
One of Hela’s favorite son was Andrew Andaijah, a man widely
respected throughout the province, who led as Premier of the
Southern Highlands in the late 1970s.
Andaijah, who died in a tragic plane crash in 1980, was a uniting
force for a very diverse province.
He stood for the rule of law, for unity, for a violence-free
society, for wealth enjoyed to be shared equally.
When he died in that plane crash in Tari Gap, the province
mourned.
In his honour, the oval in Tari is named after him, the very oval
which thousands are gathering everyday to “protect” their ballot
boxes.
These people and those candidates that they are listening to must
by now have heard the decision of PNG’s National Court.
The court has ruled that it is the Electoral Commission that has
the final say on where counting of votes should take place, and in
this case, the Commission has chosen Mendi.
Justice Mark Sevua went on to remark that, despite prediction by
doomsayers, elections in Southern Highlands and many other part of
PNG, especially the highlands region, have been peaceful.
Counting of votes for other electorate in the Southern Highlands
province was progressing well in Mendi, with no reports of
violence or foul play.
There is nothing in evidence to suggest that this would change
with the arrival of the ballot boxes from the Hela region.
In fact, security and election officials, including lawyer Prof
John Nonggorr, have
assured those candidates in Tari that security would be tight.
Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen made it clear yesterday he
has no intention of changing his mind.
The people of the province have so far conducted themselves in an
excellent manner, and one incident should not be allowed to change
the whole picture.
To deny the boxes safe passage into Mendi for counting is to deny
the majority of the people of Hela their right to be heard, their
right to elect a government, their right to services and
improvement to their lives.
They cannot be denied this right.
The ballot boxes must be released to Mendi so that people can have
their say in government.
 
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