Polye denies inciting trouble resulting in death

KANDEP MP Don Polye has strongly denied that he had incited trouble resulting in the death of a presiding officer in the electorate in Enga province.
He told the media in Mt Hagen yesterday that he was not responsible for the death as reported in a newspaper yesterday.
He condemned the killing in the strongest terms and called on the police and security personnel to have those responsible arrested and charged.
Polye said three rival candidates were trying to discredit him in the media in his run for the prime ministership.
He said the candidates knew that the people had rejected them and therefore instigating problems resulting in the attacks.
Polye claimed the candidates had made certain demands to the Electoral Commission and security personnel but these were rejected. They then directed their frustration on the people.
He said the killing took the number of people killed in election-related trouble in Enga to five. Four of them were his relatives.
He said as a leader, he always talked about peace, unity and good order in the district, province and country.
Polye said it had been a public fight involving scrutineers of 60 candidates from Kandep and other people outside the gate trying to get into the counting room.