Couple arrested for damaging posters

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

MT Hagen police have arrested a couple last Sunday for allegedly tearing down posters of candidates contesting the local level government elections.

 The criminal investigation team picked up the couple at Hagen Tee School and locked them up.

They were alleged to have torn down posters of different candidates pinned on the walls of a trade store at the road junction of Holy Trinity Teachers college and Hagen Tee.

Two candidates whose posters were removed condemned the actions.

Donald Mark said candidates had spent money to print the posters to enable their voters to identify them and also know their box numbers when casting their votes in the elections.

“Whether you will vote for us or not is not a problem but respect our posters,” he said.

A council candidate for ward 8 in the Hagen urban LLG, Setu Tau, said candidates were entitled to put up their posters at public places.

“We are in the election period and many other candidates contesting for other wards and presidents are doing the same,” he said.

He appealed to supporters of other candidates not to go around pulling down posters.

Tau urged candidates and their supporters to campaign peacefully and allow voters to decide who they wanted to vote without fear or intimidation.