Panwaslu monitors West Irian policies

Panwaslu monitors West Irian policies

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Election Supervisory Commission (Panwaslu) is to continue
monitoring policies issued by the General Elections Commission
(KPU) on West Irian Jaya for fear that the policies may disrupt
poll preparations in the whole of Papua.

Panwaslu member Didiek Supriyanto warned that political
policies on West Irian Jaya may lead to controversy prior to the
Constitutional Court issuing a verdict on the partition of Papua
province into three smaller provinces -- Papua, West Irian Jaya
and Central Irian Jaya.

The newly established Constitutional Court is currently
reviewing three contentious rulings on Papua -- Law No. 21/2001
on special autonomy, Law No. 45/1999 on the formation of West and
Central Irian Jaya, and Presidential Decree No. 1/2003 on the
accelerated formation of West and Central Irian Jaya provinces.

"The KPU decided to postpone the establishment of the KPUD in
West Irian Jaya following protest from the KPUD in Papua, warning
that its establishment would only disrupt poll preparations and
results in the province.

"It, however, decided to maintain a secretariat in the
territory and is taking over matters regarding the elections
because the KPUD in Papua refused to coordinate with the
secretariat. And Panwaslu is now monitoring the policy," Didiek
told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

Separately, administrative law expert Sri Soemantri said the
KPU had made the right decision to take over election matters in
the territory and doubted it would disrupt the polls.

"Based on the schedule, the court will hold a hearing on the
Papua case on Wednesday. It will listen to experts to determine
whether the rulings contradict each other.

"No matter what the verdict, I doubt it will create problems
regarding the legitimacy of the elections," Sri, also a lecturer
from Bandung's Padjadjaran University, told the Post by phone.

The government installed in November Brig. Gen. (ret) Abraham
Octovianus Ataruri as the governor of West Irian Jaya province,
despite controversy over the province's status.

It was Ataruri who asked for the establishment of the KPUD in
West Irian Jaya province.

Didiek concurred with Sri, saying that "the public must accept
the emergency situation in Papua."