'Appointment of Papua police chief legitimate'

'Appointment of Papua police chief legitimate'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Police dismissed on Monday the intensifying
objections to the unilateral appointment of Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo
as the new Papua Police chief without any consultation with the
provincial administration.

A police spokesman said that by the police's own law, the
National Police Chief, Gen. Da'i Bachtiar had the authority to
appoint police officials nationwide.

"The Police are an integrated institution. It covers Indonesia
as a whole. In addition, Law No 2/2002 on police institutions
stipulates that the installment of a provincial police chief is
in the hands of the National Police Chief," National Police
deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo said.

The appointment of Budi last week as the new Papuan Police to
replace Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika has sparked protests
from Papua Governor Jaap Salossa and many legislators from the
province who said that according to the special autonomy law
granted for Papua, the appointment of military and police
officials in provinces should have the approval of the provincial
administration and legislative council, neither of which were
consulted prior to Budi's appointment.

Prasetyo countered that a provincial police chief was
accountable only to the National Police chief, and not to the
governor of any province. Therefore, he said, a governor's
approval for such an installment was not necessary.

Da'i named Budi to the post to replace Pastika, who was
promoted to deputy chief of the National Police's Investigation
Department.

However, Papuan lawmakers claimed that the appointment of
Budi was not legitimate because it was done without any local
consultation.

Article 48 of Law No. 21/2001 on Papua's special autonomy says
the Papua Police chief shall be appointed by the National Police
chief with the consent of the Papua governor.

Separately, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno emphasized
that under Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy, the defense and
security affairs along with monetary and international relations
was the authority of the central administration in Jakarta.

"Officials in provinces and regencies will only give input or
consideration, not approval," Hari clarified to reporters here on
Monday.

Hari insisted that the appointment of provincial police chiefs
had to be determined by the National Police chief because he was
the most qualified to understand the conditions in Papua.

The minister suggested that the Papua lawmakers and officials
provide their input to the central administration in Jakarta so
that the government could understand the needs of local people.

"Their immediate rejection will only affect the existing
system," Hari said without elaborating.