Parliamentary elections in Papua New Guinea thwarted by sorcerers. Radio New Zealand International reports.
Two candidates in the province of East Sepik demanded a recount: according to them, the sorcerers using magic stole several ballots from the ballot boxes. The priests were asked to pray near the urns to protect them from evil forces.
According to BBC News, CEC chairman Patijas Gamato - who had previously demanded that the court ban critics from calling him "Mr. Tomato" - has yet to comment on the situation.
Voting in Papua New Guinea ended on July 8, but so far only 26 of the 111 MPs are known.
The law on witchcraft was adopted in the country in 1971, and was canceled only in 2013. The document did not state that magic actually exists. Nevertheless, according to the law, the person who was the object of the witchcraft ritual was not responsible for his actions. Therefore, persons associated with witchcraft were considered criminals, and their killers could count on a reduced sentence.
Papua New Guinea is home to a large number of disparate tribes that speak more than 850 languages. Many of them attribute the diseases of relatives to witchcraft. Often the victims of accusations are women who come from other tribes without relatives.