CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The government Wednesday warned Australians against traveling in Papua New Guinea after four people were reportedly killed in election-related violence and there were fears of more bloodshed.
The violence prompted officials Wednesday to dispatch riot police into the highland area of Mount Hagen, the site of the deadly shootings, to set up a security perimeter around the police station housing the ballot boxes.
The Department of Foreign Affairs urged Australians to be vigilant and “strongly advised” those traveling to remote highland regions of the sprawling Pacific island state to notify their plans to Australia’s High Commission in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby.
The warning was issued “to reflect the unrest caused by the election and outbreaks of violence,” department spokeswoman Julie McDonald said. It was unclear how many Australians are in Papua New Guinea.
A large but impoverished Pacific island state of 5 million people, Papua New Guinea has been plagued by political instability, corruption and lawlessness since it gained independence from Australia in 1975.
Since polling opened Saturday the election has been marred by chaos and violence.
A nurse in Mount Hagen said Tuesday four people were killed in election-related violence in the remote town 250 miles northwest of Port Moresby. Local media reported Wednesday that at least two people were killed.
An extra 140 riot police are now stationed in the town. Residents reported hearing gun shots Wednesday.
“We’ve spoken to about 16 of the candidates and they all fear the worst — that there’s going to be open warfare,” an unidentified source in Mount Hagen told the Australian Associated Press.
He also said some people were intimidating voters at many outlying polling stations.
“They’re standing over people going into the booth and looking to see how they vote. If you vote the wrong way you get bashed,” he said.
In the capital, police said they had arrested 10 people following unrest caused by a strike by electoral staff that prevented thousands of voters from casting ballots Tuesday.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Mekere Morauta said polling in Port Moresby, which he described as “chaotic,” had finished Tuesday. Counting for the city’s four electorates would begin Thursday morning, he added.
“Things are OK now and we are preparing for the counting,” spokesman Mark Davis said.
Almost 3,000 candidates from 43 political parties — including hundreds of independents — are taking part in the election.
The makeup of the 109-seat Parliament will not be known until official results are released July 15.
