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Government ‘will respect’ court ruling on Papua's special autonomy
Following recent controversies over Jakarta's plan to create three new provinces in Papua, lawmakers appear to have taken a wait-and-see stance ahead of a court ruling on an ongoing judicial review.
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President Joko Widodo (fourth right) listens to Papuan community, customary and religious leaders during talks on Oct. 28, 2019 in Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya regency, Papua. (Courtesy of/Presidential Secretariat)
T
he government has said it will comply with the Constitutional Court’s upcoming decision on a petition for judicial review filed by the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) last year that challenge several provisions in the 2021 Papua Special Autonomy Law.
The statement came after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s meeting on Monday with representatives from the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) that extensively discussed the 2021 law, which amended a previous law on special autonomy in Papua.
The 2021 amendment includes a provision that allows the House of Representatives and the government to create new provinces, municipalities and regencies in the country’s easternmost region without the approval of the MRP or regional legislative councils (DPRP). In the law’s previous edition, the creation of new administrative areas required green-lighting by the two institutions.
The MRP filed its petition last year challenging several some provisions in the 2021 amendment, including those that allowed bypassing MRP and DPRP approval in establishing new administrative regions in Papua.
Monday’s meeting marked the first time the President had met with the MRP after the House endorsed three new bills earlier this month on the creation of the new provinces of South Papua, Central Papua and the Papua Central Highlands.
Read also: House seeks speedy deliberation to establish new provinces in Papua
The MRP had previously called on the House and the government to postpone the bills’ deliberation citing the ongoing legal process. It also stressed that establishing new provinces in the region was “not the only [solution] to bring prosperity to Papuans”.
