Religious leaders across the country have expressed their hope that the next president will be able to restore peace and maintain national unity, particularly in Papua.

The leaders were speaking during the Sixth National Conference of the Indonesian Inter-Faith Network (JAII) in Sentani, Jayapura, Papua.

'€œUnity has been has a feature of the archipelago since long before the nation was established. But along the way, the situation has not been well maintained,'€ said the deputy of the Communion of Indonesian Churches (PGI), AA Yewangoe, on Monday.

'€œWe see that in villages in remote areas, residents work hand-in-hand, helping each other regardless of their beliefs. In Ambon, Maluku, for instance, some churches were built by Muslims, while on the other hand, Christians have also helped build mosques,'€ Yewangoe added.

The leaders also hoped that there would be a dialogue between the central government and Papuans to resolve outstanding issues and to restore peace in the province. The conference will continue until Friday.