Jakarta, Papua leaders to talk again about W. Irian Jaya

Jakarta, Papua leaders to talk again about W. Irian Jaya

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Top security officials met with prominent Papuan leaders on
Monday in Jayapura to discuss a controversial gubernatorial
election scheduled to take place in West Irian Jaya province
later this month.

Emerging from the meeting, chief security minister Widodo A.S.
said no agreement was reached on the election, so the central
government would host a meeting in Jakarta on Thursday to try and
finalize the details of the poll scheduled for Nov. 28. That
meeting will be attended by key central government officials and
informal leaders and government officials from Papua.

The Jakarta meeting will discuss whether the election will
proceed as planned or will be delayed, said Widodo.

The controversy over the planned poll in West Irian Jaya
concerns the separation of the province from the rest of Papua,
which critics claim is a violation of Papua's regional autonomy.

Papua provincial council speaker John Ibo insists the
establishment of West Irian Jaya province is a violation of the
Law on Special Autonomy for Papua.

"There will be no election in West Irian Jaya until we sit
down together with Jakarta officials on Thursday," said John, as
quoted by Antara news agency.

West Irian Jaya was partitioned off from Papua province
despite opposition by the Papua government and people's
representatives, who say the central government betrayed the will
of Papuans by splitting the province.

The meeting in Jakarta will also discuss the Papuan People's
Assembly (MRP), which was established on Oct. 31. One of the
first actions of the MRP was to bar a candidate from contesting
the Papua gubernatorial election slated for next year, on the
grounds that he was not a native Papuan. However, that decision
has proved controversial.

Protesters opposed to the decision went on a rampage last
Saturday, leaving dozens of people injured. The protesters
insisted the deputy governor candidate, Musa, was a native Papuan
who have lived in the province for generations.

With the MRP under fire, the central government plans to
discuss the future role of the assembly in order to promote
stability in Indonesia's easternmost province.

The meeting on Monday in Jayapura was attended by top security
officials, including Widodo, Papua Governor JP Salossa, the chief
of the Trikora military command overseeing Papua, Maj. Gen.
George Toisutta, and Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Dody
Sumantyawan.

All of the members of the Papua provincial council and the MRP
also attended the meeting. The MRP has 42 members, consisting of
14 traditional leaders, 14 religious leaders and 14 women's
leaders.

The establishment of the council was mandated in the Law on
Special Autonomy for Papua. According to the law, the council has
the power to approve gubernatorial candidates and candidates for
the People's Consultative Assembly. It can also offer its
opinions on any form of cooperation between the Papuan
administration and other parties.