Papua election waiting on court’s decision

Elections for Papua’s governor and vice governor, which should have occurred last December, have been postponed until the Constitutional Court (MK) makes a decision about the case.

The MK is conducting a judicial review of Law No. 21/2001 on Papua’s special autonomy, focusing on an article in the law that stipulates that Papua’s governor be elected by the Papua Legislative Council (DPRP). When the 2001 law was replaced by Law No. 35/2008, that article had been removed.

“The Papua General Elections Commission (KPUD) has not started the election process because, based on what the DPRP told us, we have to wait for the MK’s decision,” KPUD chair Benny Sweni said in Jayapura on Tuesday.

The Papua governor’s 2006-2011 term is scheduled to end on July 16. According to the law, the DPRP must send out a letter six months prior to the end of the governor’s term in order to begin election procedures.

Although all parties are waiting for the MK’s decision on the matter, Papua’s KPUD has already begun pre-election activities such as selecting election officials for every municipality and regency.

“That way, if the MK decides that the election will be a direct, people’s election we will be ready to swear in the chosen officials. If the MK determines that the DPRP will elect the governor and vice governor, then we won’t have the swearing in,” he said.

The Golkar Party, which won the most seats in the legislative council, has announced its candidate for governor, Habel Melkias Suwae, who is also the chief of the party’s provincial branch.