LNG project to be targetted in 2012 elections

By PATRICK TALU

 

THE 2012 national general elections will be riddled with violence in the Southern Highlands, a regional police commander has warned, The National reports.

Gulf provincial police chief Snr Insp Reuben Giusu has warned his superiors in Port Moresby that there is a strong arms build-up in the province.

Giusu reaffirmed an earlier election-related report that violence would also sabotage the multi-billion kina PNG LNG project.

Part of his intelligence security brief, provided to the PNG liquefied natural gas project operator Esso Highlands Ltd, the police headquarters and the National Intelligence Organisation after his assessment on security situation in Gulf, bordering Southern Highlands, said: “My assumption is that from the past experience in the national election, there is a very high possibility of violence during the election in SHP.

“The use of firearms and explosives in tribal fights will increase because people have excess to such weapons.

 “I was actively involved in the Koroba-Lake Kopiago and Tari-Pori elections in 2002 when armed violence resulted in fresh election in 2003.”

Yesterday, it was claimed that the destruction of Curtain Clough Joint Venture (CCJV) heavy machineries and attack on its workers last week by disgruntled people from Kikori villages had been caused by the government’s delay in paying the appropriate business development grants.

Landowners had blamed the Department of Commerce for the delay.

They had also issued a 14-day ultimatum in a petition to Esso Highlands Ltd to address two main concerns.

They wanted the developer to give their two umbrella companies contracts for construction work and to immediately pay them their business development grants.

They warned that a no-response would mean a stop-work on segment seven of the LNG project.