Police on full alert during election

JAYAPURA, Papua: A senior police officer in Papua reported on Tuesday that police would be on full alert during the presidential election this year, amid threats from the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).

Sr. Comr. Max D. Aer, the chief of operations at the Papua Provincial Police assured the public that Papua would remain calm and safe during the election, as the provincial police would deploy two-thirds of its 9,000 personnel to secure the direct presidential election, the first ever in Indonesian history.

The police personnel will provide security at 6,712 polling booths in 29 regencies and municipalities in Papua and West Irian Jaya provinces, the westernmost provinces in the country. -- JP