A

quick count shows that the campaign of Lukas Enembe and Klemen Tinal, running on the Democratic Party ticket, is currently ahead in the Papua gubernatorial election.

The Indonesian Vote Network (JSI) revealed on Wednesday that the candidates, popularly known as “Lukmen”, was leading with 36.62 percent of the vote.

JSI vice executive director, Fajar S Tamin, told reporters in Jayapura that the network used a random sampling method at 240 out of 7,116 polling stations. “We so far have a total of 56,549 votes from 208 polling stations,” he said.

Fajar said the Habel Melkias Suwae–Yop Kogoya ticket was second with 19.3 percent followed by MR Kambu–Blasius Pakage (15.96 percent), Noak Nawipa–John Wob (11.73 percent), Welinton Wenda–Weynand Watori (11.24 percent) and Alex Hasegem–Marthen Kayoi (5.14 percent).

Chairman of the Lukmen campaign team, Yunus Wonda, said he was not surprised at the result.

“We are not surprised with JSI’s finding because it does not deviate much from our calculation of 38 percent,” he said.

“We were always sure that we could win the gubernatorial election in one round.”

Wonda said the campaign team had been at work since 2006. Lukas was defeated by Barnabas Suebu and Alex in the 2005 gubernatorial election.

Meanwhile, the Habel–Yop campaign team chairman, Hengky Sawaki, criticized the JSI for announcing the results of its survey.

“Let’s provide a good political education to the public instead of announcing the results,” he said.

“Let’s wait calmly and patiently for the official results from the Papua KPUD.”

He also estimated that Habel and Yop had won 36 percent of the vote.

Papua KPUD chief Benny Sweni said that while anyone could conduct quick counts the election commission would not be swayed by the results.

“Papua KPUD will only announce the final result during a plenary meeting on Feb. 13,” he said.

“We are scheduled to receive the regional results on Feb. 10, so let’s just wait.”

In a separate development, Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumertha Jaya said that the case of the fatal assault on Yosia Karoba would be settled through customary law because it would be more effective.

“Usually, legal enforcement only causes problems if the case is not settled using customary law,” he said.

Karoba, a member of the Tolikara Legislative Council, was killed by his own kinsmen in Gilibandu district, Tolikara regency, on polling day on Tuesday.

All the voters in the district had agreed to vote for a certain candidate but Karoba, a Golkar Party councillor, wished to choose in line with his party’s preference.

His decision enraged his relatives who beat Karoba to death. His body was buried on Wednesday in
Wamena.

“This case is predominantly an internal problem within his extended family,” Sumertha said. “He voted for a different ticket and this was considered disloyal by his family.”

Hengky deplored the killing and called on the authorities to solve the case.

The chairman of the Papua Election Supervisory Committee, Onny Labelauw, said the committee had recommended the police pursue the case as it was categorized as an election crime.

Meanwhile, Sumertha also revealed that the Central Mamberamo KPUD office was set on fire by unidentified people at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

In Bandung, the chairman of the House of Representatives’ Commission II overseeing regional autonomy and elections, Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa also expressed his concerns about the violence during the Papua election.

“Papua is, to be honest, a part of our nation that needs different attention and treatment,” the Golkar Party lawmaker said.

 He added that the trouble during and after the gubernatorial election in Papua, which had been delayed for two years, was related to the interests of Papuan political elites.

General Elections Commission (KPU) member Ferry Rizki Kurniansyah expected local security forces to be able to maintain security in Papua, especially safeguarding ballot boxes.

“However, Papua KPUD executives must also take care of the ballot boxes which are their responsibility,” he said.