Polye given over 200 pigs to make peace

 PEOPLE from the seven Highlands provinces have contributed more than 200 pigs for Treasurer Don Polye to pay as belkol to those who lost relatives during a tribal fight in his Kandep electorate in Enga.

The pigs were given to Polye this week.

He travelled to Enga, Jiwaka, Southern Highlands and Western Highlands to receive them.

Those from Hela, Eastern Highlands and Chimbu travelled to his home at Avi, in Jiwaka, to make their presentations. All the pigs will be given as belkol to relatives of those killed in an election-related tribal fight between the Akul and Kamberip clans in Kandep, which has lasted  since the 2012 elections.

It is a tradition in Enga that a clan that causes deaths and destroys properties in fights is liable to meet costs, but Polye wants it to become his responsibility, being the Kandep MP.

He said he wanted the clans to make peace between themselves for the betterment of their livelihood and socio-economic advancement.

“There are many multi-million impact projects taking place in Kandep and in Hela, like the LNG project,” Polye said.

“The spin-off benefits are life-transforming so I urge them to engage in small-medium businesses rather than in fights.”

Polye has been attending to electoral matters in Kandep from Monday until yesterday.