Death toll rises in PNG poll chaos

PNG PM Morauta is expected to win his Port Moresby seat

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (Reuters) -- The death toll in Papua New Guinea's chaotic election has risen to nine after police confirmed seven more deaths in the South Pacific nation's remote highlands, local media reported.

Papua New Guinea's national election has been marred by deaths, violence, stolen ballot boxes, multiple voting and incomplete electoral rolls since voting started on June 15.

And with voting continuing until June 29, police and election officials told reporters on Sunday they feared more violence between supporters of rival candidates.

The National newspaper said highlands police commander Alfred Reu had confirmed a further "seven election-related deaths" in the mountains of Papua New Guinea in the past seven days.

Guns, knives and other weapons were used in the killings, he said.

Police had already reported two people killed in tribal clashes in the remote Western Highlands district center of Mount Hagen, 510 kilometers (317 miles) northwest of the capital Port Moresby last Tuesday. Dozens were injured.

In one of the latest clashes in the Eastern Highlands, houses were destroyed and fighting between supporters of rival candidates was continuing on Sunday for a second day.

Ghost voters

"Many people have been injured in the clashes, but I do not know exactly how many," a witness told The National.

Tribal wars are common in Papua New Guinea's mountains where most of the country's 5.1 million population live subsistence lifestyles and cling to traditional beliefs.

Prime Minister Mekere Morauta last week called for an end to the violence, while many candidates and voters have called for the poll to be declared null and void with thousands unable to vote due to incomplete electoral rolls and logistical problems.

Morauta tried to delay the election because of concerns about thousands of "ghost voters" on the electoral roll.

Election officials have reported several ballot boxes stolen and people voting two and three times after using bleach to remove ink marks from their hands after casting a ballot.

The National newspaper said police on Sunday raided the Port Moresby home of a candidate from Morauta's own People's Democratic Party and confiscated two ballot boxes.

Seventh poll

Morauta came to power in July 1999 and has pursued a reformist agenda of privatisation and cost-cutting to salvage his cash-strapped nation. He has also vowed to rid Papua New Guinea of endemic political corruption.

Morauta was expected on Monday to declare he had retained his seat in the capital Port Moresby, having won more than 6,000 votes by Sunday, 900 votes ahead of his nearest rival, election officials said.

This is the seventh poll since independence in 1975 and no government has served a full five-year term.

A result is not expected for about a month as counts trickle in and those elected engage in protracted horse-trading to form a government.

PNG is a minerals-rich country to Australia's north but remains poor and under-developed, held back in the past five years by corruption, riots, army mutinies and tribal wars.