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Supporters of an unsuccessful Mendi Open candidate James Embiap
staged a peaceful protest march in the streets of Mendi town last
Saturday.
They chanted war cries and carried huge placards demanding the
declaration of new MP elect Pr Isaac Joseph be null and void.
One placard read “Declare Mendi Open declaration null and void”
while annother read “Declare James Embiap as the duly elected
Mendi Open MP”.
The protest march disturbed members of the security forces, who
were staging their final parade at the Mendi police station.
Special police operations commander chief Supt Samson Mapi and
Joint Task Force PNG Defence Force Southern Highlands contingent
commander Lt Col Siale Diro intervened and met the protestors.
Mr Embiap told Supt Mapi and Lt Col Diro that his supporters had
discovered some ballot papers numbering well over 1,000 belonging
to him at the toilets at the Momei Oval counting centre in Mendi.
Mr Embiap, who came third, said he could have won if those ballot
papers were not dumped.
He demanded the keys of the steel fence into the counting centre
at Momei Oval to dig up the toilets as he believed that there
might be even more ballot papers dumped in there.
He said he did not know how the ballot papers were dumped in the
toilets when the security forces were high on alert.
Supt Mapi told Mr Embiap and his supporters to follow the proper
process and file a petition in the Court of Disputed Returns.
He also assured Mr Embiap of police assistance in digging up the
toilet to check if the allegations were true.
 
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