Papua elects 140 election commission members

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

After a two-week selection process, the Papua General Elections Commission (KPUD) has elected 140 commission members to help organize the general election in the province next year.

Papua KPUD chairman Marthen Ferry Kareth said on Monday that the commission members, 18 of whom are women, had been selected from 28 mayoralties and regencies throughout the province, with each regency or mayoralty being represented by five members.

"The commission members were elected from among people of all walks of live in 28 regencies and mayoralties," Kareth told The Jakarta Post, citing teachers, journalists and activists of non- governmental organizations as examples.

He said the 140 members were elected after being screened from June 4 to June 20.

The elected members will be inaugurated on June 30 in Jayapura by the provincial commission chairman.

The KPUD chairman said the commission members would organize the general election in the province as well as ensure transparency and accountability in the ballot counting.

When asked whether the selection process had been tainted with corruption, Kareth said that anybody later proven to have been engaged in such practices would be punished in accordance with Law No.12/2003 on general elections.

He did not elaborate on what punishment would be meted out.

Kareth also said the KPUD would try to register Indonesians leaving in refugee camps in neighboring Papua New Guinea for next year's elections.

He said some of these refugees had expressed a willingness to return to the province and participate in the elections.

"They are also Indonesian citizens, but they ran away due to many problems here. Should they want to return, we will welcome them," the official said.

He further said that he would inform the central government of the presence of these Indonesians living in exile, before deciding on their participation in the elections.