Did sorcerers

kill the MR?

Tribesmen in the Papua New Guinea Southern Highlands believe their local member of parliament died because of sorcery invoked by his political enemies.

Awali Unguniabe, the member for Poroma-Kutubu in the House of Assembly, died late last year aged only 29.

The Opposition Leader, Mr Tei Abal, who has just visited the elec torate in February, said the people were angry and frightened and had been looking for revenge.

They were convinced that the tough world of politics had drawn on tribal magic to do its dirty work, taking the life of their member.

Mr Abal said he had visited the electorate to enlist support for his party, the United Party, in the by election to be held shortly. But he had found himself caught up in a campaign to prove that Mr Unguni abe, a United Party member, had died of natural causes.

Mr Abal said: “I had to get a report from a doctor to certify that Mr Unguniabe died from lung cancer. Then I had to go out and convince the people that they were worried about something that didn’t exist, and that lung cancer was a disease affecting people all over the world”.

Mr Abal said he believed that, but for his intervention, tribal fighting could have broken out because of rumours circulating about the cause of Mr Unguniabe’s death. The people appeared to accept the doctor’s re port which he passed on to them at a series of meetings.

But, sorcery or otherwise, there’s no shortage of contenders for the vacant seat in the parliament.

Awali Unguniabe