Transcript
GARY BAKI: There is currently a situation going on over there. I don't want to think it's inter-related to the Kandep dispute because that matter is being resolved on its own. This is a feud between the two tribal clans so I would as much as possible caution the idea of having it inter-related with the elections, the outcome of elections.
JOHNNY BLADES: It's just that the Kandep election dispute is back in the courts this week and the two tribes were fighting in and around the election in relation to the Kandep (election) situation.
GB: I've spoken to the petitioner, Don Polye, yesterday he called me and I've spoken to him with regards to that. And as I said, I don't want people to relate it because there is an election petition going on, there is a tribal fight that is connected with the election petition. It's not. It's an ongoing feud between the two clans and that's the issue. It's unfortunate that one of the tribes that is involved in that.. had a relationship with the petitioner, the former member for Kandep, in Teremanda. So that's where it is. We need to be very mindful about what we say about the election petition. I know there has been constant briefs coming in with regards to the shootings at the moment in Wabag. Police and Defence have been deployed and are monitoring the situation over there. So We are as much as possible trying to keep tightening up on the security aspects of it over there. We are mindful of the fact the election petition is going to be heard in court.
JB: Meanwhile, how are things going over in Hela province with the tribal fighting there? I spoke to (provincial police commander) Martin Lakari the other week and he said there was a mediation process beginning between he tribes.
GB: Yes, he's doing his best on the mediation process. The thing is, people don't realise the difficulties the police also have in terms of the resources, and the tribal fights are inter-related. We allow our people to be stretched out to the limit. The requirements whereby you need to provide visibility and police presence in the province is actually stretched to the limit. We have a disaster operation that's going on. Then you have tribal fights to deal with over there. So Martin (Lakari) is doing his best in the mediation, and I'm quite happy with the way he's handling the situation over there with the mediation approach. And I just hope our own leaders as well too see that's the way forward on it, to getting their own people to respect the law.
JB: Has the fighting tapered off in and around Tari?
GB: Yes it's actually subsided. Police are monitoring the situation. But they're very mindful of the fact that police are very present, and Defence are there to assist them, but you still have pockets of insurgency kind of operations outside of where the police and other security personnel are, so sometimes they pay particular attention to one particular area and something else happens behind their back. That's the way things are happening over there. But I think the approach the police are taking now is to mediate between the tribes to ensure that peace prevails in Hela.
