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Papuan regencies postpone voting amid security concerns, glitches
The Papuan regencies of Paniai and Nduga have postponed voting, slated for Wednesday, amid security concerns. The two regencies should have hosted regency elections as well as the Papua gubernatorial election.
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All set: Workers load ballot boxes onto a truck in Temanggung, Central Java, on Saturday. (Antara/Anis Efizudin)
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“It has been recommended that voting in those two regencies be postponed because of security concerns," General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan told the press in Semarang, Central Java, on Wednesday.
Paniai regency postponed voting for the regency election while going ahead with voting to elect the governor. Voting in the Paniai regency election had to be postponed because of differences between the provincial office of the General Elections Commission (KPUD) and the local KPUD chapter regarding qualified candidates.
The KPUD Paniai had ruled that only one candidate pair had passed the selection process, but the provincial chapter had printed two candidate pairs on the ballot papers. The commissions have yet to agree on a definitive solution, thus, they decided to postpone voting.
Meanwhile in Nduga, an ongoing conflict between security personnel and an unidentified armed group around Kenyam airport has hampered the distribution of ballot papers to 29 districts.
“We have recommended to resume voting another day, but we have yet to set the date,” Anugerah Patah, a member of the Papua Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), told The Jakarta Post.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar assured the public that voting in all other areas of the province was running smoothly. (swd)
