Papua government gears up for people's council election
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura
Following the issuance of a presidential decree on the Papua People's Council (MRP), the Papua provincial government is now preparing the establishment of a team that will discuss MRP election.
"The team will disseminate any information on MRP to public and prepare the MRP election," said Papua Governor Jaap Salossa on Monday.
The governor warned that MRP election could be prone to conflicts and violence as not all people could be members of the council. "The conflicts are imminent as the number of MRP will be limited, only some 40 people, according to the presidential decree. The team shall listen to grass root aspirations and publish any information on MRP as many as it can so that the election of MRP members can be held in fair and transparent manner," said Salossa.
According to MRP decree, the maximum number of MRP members must be up to three-fourth of total number of Papua provincial councillors. Total number of current Papua provincial councillors currently stands at 54 people.
The governor said that the team would consist of intellectuals, religious figures, women figures and other elements of society that represent all aspirations of Papuans.
The team will also prepare for the construction of MRP office and select the office staffers.
The team will work for one year, so that the MRP and its office should be ready to serve public by the end of 2005.
Separately, speaker of Papua provincial council John Ibo said that the provincial council accepted the presidential decree, which many Jakarta officials called it a "Christmas Gift for Papuans." The decree had relieved Papuans, who patiently waited for the issuance of the decree for months, Ibo claimed.
Ibo also ruled out fears that there will be overlapping over tasks between MRP and the provincial council. "The division of labor between MRP and the provincial council will be ruled in a bylaw and we should not be worry on that," he said.
The much awaited decree on MRP was signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday last week, only two days before he visited Papua town of Nabire to celebrate Christmas with the victims of Nabire earthquake. The decree consists of 16 chapters and 76 articles. MRP jurisdiction is confined to Papua province only, and not included newly established West Irian Jaya.
In the decree, the MRP is described as a cultural representation of Papuans, which has authority to protect the rights of native Papuans. It has authority to provide inputs and approval on governor and deputy governor hopefuls proposed by the Papua provincial council.
The MRP also provides inputs and approvals on the draft of bylaws proposed either by Papua provincial council or the governor and also on the agreement proposal between Papua Governor and the third parties.
The MRP will have headquarters in Papua provincial capital Jayapura and its members consist of one-third custom representations, other one-third religious figures and the last one-third women figures. The MRP members will serve for five years and can be re-elected. The MRP members will all be elected through direct elections.
One of contentious articles in the decree was an article that allows the Minister of Home Affairs to annul the candidacy of an MRP member hopeful. The article will give power to Jakarta to eliminate pro Papua freedom candidates from entering a position at MRP.