29 May 2012

PNG political candidates banned from campaigning in Mendi CBD

4:59 pm on 29 May 2012

Political candidates in the Papua New Guinea town of Mendi in Southern Highlands have been banned from campaigning in the central business district.

The move comes after the deaths of at least two people to date in election violence in other parts of the country, and a call from the caretaker Prime Minister for candidates and voters not to incite violence.

The election manager in Southern Highlands, David Wakias, says the candidates are disrupting schools and life in general in the CBD because they are often shouting over each other.

"There's been a large convoy of vehicles and then there's too much noise. (They're) holding up traffic and causing disturbance in the town itself."

David Wakias admits they could be restricting the political freedom of the candidates.

But he says they can still campaign outside the CBD.