Govt warned against gubernatorial election in W. Irian Jaya<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sidjabat and Nethy Dharma Somba
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta\/Jayapura<\/p>\n
Papua's provincial leaders have expressed concern over a rumor
\nthat the central government will include West Irian Jaya province
\non the list of more than 95 regions that will hold direct
\nelections of regional heads this year.<\/p>\n
The inclusion will apparently be ruled in a government
\nregulation set to be issued in the near future.<\/p>\n
\"If the rumor becomes a reality, a new and serious problem
\nwould emerge in the province because this would negate Law No.
\n21\/2001 on special autonomy for Papua, the Constitutional Court's
\ndecision on the troubled province and the newly issued Government
\nregulation No. 54\/2004 on the Papua People's Assembly (MRP),\"
\nsaid Anthonius Rahail, the chairman of the Special Team for the
\nEmpowerment of Special Autonomy for Papua.<\/p>\n
West Irian Jaya was split from Papua province by the
\ngovernment last year.<\/p>\n
Rahail called on the home ministry -- which is currently
\npreparing the draft regulation on the direct elections of
\nregional heads -- to comply with Government Regulation No.
\n54\/2004, which prohibited the central goverment and the
\nprovincial administration from making any decision on West Irian
\nJaya province after its disputed establishment last year.<\/p>\n
Chapter 73 of Government Regulation No. 54 authorizes the
\nPapuan governor, provincial legislature and the MRP to seek a
\npeaceful solution for the troubled province of West Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
\"The Papuan people will accept it if the three local
\ninstitutions finally decide to recognize the new province,\" said
\nRahail, adding that the home ministry should suspend
\nadministrative activities in West Irian Jaya until a permanent
\ndecision on the province's fate is reached.<\/p>\n
A gubernatorial election will be conducted in West Irian Jaya
\nonly if the new province's existence is accepted by the MRP, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Following prolonged tension between Jakarta and Papua, the
\nConstitutional Court annulled in November certain chapters of Law
\nNo. 45\/1999 on the formation of Irian Jaya and Presidential
\nInstruction No. 1\/2003 on the law's enforcement, which was fully
\nsupported by the home ministry, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and
\nthe National Intelligence Agency (BIN).<\/p>\n
In a separate development, Rev. Phil Errari, a team member who
\naccompanied Rahail in the press meeting, said the Papuan
\nprovincial administration was still preparing bylaws to enforce
\nGovernment Regulation No. 54 on the MRP, which is scheduled to
\ncome into effect in May.<\/p>\n
\"The MRP will have 42 members or three fourths of the
\nprovincial legislative council, comprising 14 tribal leaders, 14
\nreligious figures and the same amount of women,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to the government regulation, the main mission of
\nthe MRP -- the members of which serve five-year terms -- is to
\nprotect Papua's indigenous people and their basic rights.<\/p>\n
Like the People's Consultative Assembly, the MRP is obliged to
\nmaintain the Indonesian unitary state, comply with the amended
\n1945 Constitution and all laws, preserve Papuan culture and its
\ncultural values, promote religious tolerance and empower women in
\nall fields.<\/p>\n
Separately, scholar and chairman of Cenderawasih University
\nResearch Center, J.R Mansoben, has urged that the recruitment of
\nMRP members be carried out in a transparent manner.<\/p>\n
He said all elements of the Papua provincial community should
\nbe represented in the MRP, in order to avoid potential conflicts.<\/p>\n
Papua province has 250 tribes, which have for years been self-
\ngoverning.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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