'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.