Papua government gears up for people's council election

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.