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Police beef up security in Intan Jaya
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Local residents sort and fold ballot papers for the regional head election in Jayapura, Papua, in this file photo. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)
T
he Papua Police deployed additional personnel from its Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit to Sugapa, the main town in Intan Jaya regency, on Friday to strengthen security following clashes between supporters of election candidates that left one person dead.
“The 81 deployed officers are in addition to the current 400 personnel on duty there [in Sugapa],” Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said in Jayapura on Friday.
Besides sending the 81 Brimob officers the Papua Police also received backup of 200 personnel from the National Police headquarters, who will be sent to regions that are conducting plenary meetings on the regional elections results.
The extra backup followed a clash on Thursday during the plenary meeting of 2017 Intan Jaya regional election. The plenary decided not to consider the votes from eight polling stations from Wandai and Agisiga districts as the local officials were still completing the count and had not yet delivered the ballots to the Intan Jaya Regional Elections Commission (KPUD). The counting should have been completed before the KPUD started the plenary meeting on Feb. 22.
Several people objected and called for the plenary to be delayed.
“The arguments led to a clash that claimed the life of one man, Kolengan Wenda, 45,” Waterpauw added.
The clash continued the next day as eight houses of campaign workers of one candidate were set on fire on Friday morning.
The police are looking for one suspect who is reported to have incited the mob to start the blaze.
Four pairs of candidates ran in the Intan Jaya regional election during the simultaneous regional elections in 101 regions nationwide on Feb. 15. The pairs running for the regent post were Bartolomius Mirip - Deny Miagoni, Yulius Yapugau - Yunus Kalabetme, Natalis Tabuni - Yan Robert Kobogoyauw and Thobisa Zonggonauw - Hermanus Miagoni.
No precise information has been provided on which candidates’ supporters were involved in the clashes.
Intan Jaya was among 11 regencies and municipalities in Papua that held regional elections this year. Waterpauw said that apart from the incident in Intan Jaya, the local elections in Papua ran smoothly and safely. (rin)
