Voters may boycott polls

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
SOME remote villages in Western province have threatened to boycott voting in the upcoming elections after accusing their MPs of neglecting them, acting provincial police commander Inspector Soiwa Ricker said yesterday.
“These villages along the Fly River in the South Fly District and Bamu River in the Middle Fly district have a total population of about 1000,” he said.
“They have issued threats to chase the polling teams if they arrive in their villages.
“I have dispatched police officers to those communities to advise them not to chase the polling teams away when they come to their villages.”
He said the villagers had threatened to boycott voting.
“If they don’t want to vote, then that’s their right too,” the inspector said.  “But they must not prevent other voters from expressing their rights to vote for their MP.”