Irate Papuans threaten to boycott elections
Kurniawan Hari and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Politicians in the Papua provincial legislature have threatened to boycott the 2004 general elections if the central government insists on establishing West Irian Jaya as a separate electoral district from its mother province, Papua.
The Papuan councillors said Jakarta should wait until the Supreme Court had reached a decision over the judicial review they had requested into the establishment of West Irian Jaya province. They filed the motion for judicial review on Sept. 3, but the court has not yet responded.
Despite the legal dispute, the General Elections Commission (KPU) is continuing its preparations for the formation of its provincial office (KPUD) in West Irian Jaya.
"If the KPU insists (on forming a KPUD in West Irian Jaya), we shall leave office does that mean "resign"? and boycott the elections," Papua legislature speaker John Ibo said in a meeting with House of Representatives speaker Akbar Tandjung here on Thursday.
He added the provincial legislature might also call on Papuans to boycott the elections if no resolution of the legal dispute were reached immediately. Campaigning for (you had "against"!) a poll boycott is a crime, according to the law on elections.
The legal conflict was triggered by Jakarta's plan to speed up the formation of West Irian Jaya and Central Irian Jaya provinces, as stipulated by a 1999 law on partition of Papua into three provinces. The move was deemed a violation of Law No. 21/2001 on special autonomy for Papua, which suggests that involvement of the Papuan People's Assembly in the regional split policy. does this mean "involvement of the Papuan People's Assembly is required when determining any policy for subdividing the region"?
At least two people were killed in a clash between supporters and opponents of the establishment of West Irian Jaya province in August.
The government postponed the establishment of Central Irian Jaya province, but it has identified Oct. 28 as the date for the inauguration of West Irian Jaya province.
To be consistent, Ibo said, KPU also had to establish regional offices in Central Irian Jaya and East Irian Jaya.
Later in the day, the Papuan delegates also visited the KPU office to express their rejection of the plan to form a KPUD in West Irian Jaya.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said, on his recent visit to Manokwari, the prospective capital of West Irian Jaya, that the KPUD office in West Irian Jaya would be established soon after the central government had inaugurated the new province.
West Irian Jaya has been allocated three House of Representatives seats for the 2004 general election.
Meanwhile, a member of House Commission II for legal and home affairs Yahya Zaini suggested that the KPU avoid pushing for the establishment of a KPUD in West Irian Jaya.
"I think the KPU should wait until the legal problem is resolved. It shouldn't create more problems," he said.