Irian elections go ahead after delays<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura<\/p>\n
Elections in West Irian Jaya province's five regencies went ahead
\nas scheduled on Monday with only one regency, Raja Ampat, failing
\nto join in due to incomplete voter enrollments in three of its 10
\ndistricts.<\/p>\n
"Elections in the Raja Ampat regency have been postponed for
\n10 days until all voters' data has been received by the Election
\nCommittee from the Population Office. But if we receive the data
\nin two or three days time, we'll hold the election (sooner),"
\nhead of Raja Ampat Election Committee, Makabori Mayalibit, told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Elections in the six regencies -- Teluk Wondama, Raja Ampat,
\nTeluk Bintuni, South Sorong, Kaimana and Fakfak -- were
\npreviously scheduled to be held in June along with the West Irian
\nJaya provincial election.<\/p>\n
But poor preparations forced the elections to be put off to
\nJuly 28, then postponed again until Aug. 29 for the same reasons.<\/p>\n
However, while the elections went on as scheduled in the five
\nregencies, elections for the province's inaugural governor have
\nbeen delayed indefinitely.<\/p>\n
Acting Raja Ampat regent, Jack Kapissa, regretted the
\ncommittee's decision to delay the election without informing the
\nregental council and himself.<\/p>\n
He said the cancellation of the election was announced by the
\ncommittee a day before it was due to be held through radio in
\nSorong city.<\/p>\n
"He (Makabori) has to revoke the decision as it was made
\nwithout the knowledge of the regent and council," Jack told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
He blamed the decision on the committee's inability to compile
\nvoter information that had been handled out by the Raja Ampat
\nPopulation Office. "They have the data they need, but they can't
\nmeet the deadline, unable to complete the list of voters in four,
\nnot three districts as claimed," Jack said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, head of West Irian Jaya Election Committee, Regina
\nSauyai, hoped that administrative problems that had prevented
\nelections in Raja Ampat regency would soon be resolved so that
\nthe elections could go ahead.<\/p>\n
"Since it's administrative problem, we have taken no action so
\nfar. But if the matter is not taken care of in one or two days,
\nwe'll take over the organization of the election in that
\nregency," Regina said.<\/p>\n
In the Raja Ampat election, over 20,000 eligible voters will
\ncast their votes in 88 booths in 86 villages.<\/p>\n
Secretary of Teluk Wondama Election Committee, Marini Ortisan,
\nsaid elections there had gone smoothly, with some 9,339 eligible
\nvoters started to arrive at the regency's 69 polling stations at
\n8 a.m. Results of the election will be known in the next four
\ndays.<\/p>\n
West Irian Jaya province was established in 2002, being
\npartitioned from Papua province. The establishment of the
\nprovince has attracted much controversy with many considering it
\nin violation of the government's own Special Autonomy Law.<\/p>",
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