TEMPO.CO, Jayapura - Papua Governor Lukas Enembe said that the 2014 legislative elections in Papua was chaotic. He admitted to having received reports of incidents during the voting process and saw ballot papers thrown on the streets. "Clearly, this year's election was worse [than the last]," Lukas told reporters in Jayapura yesterday.
According to Lukas, problems arose because the traditional system that allowed the people to be represented by the indigenous leaders, noken, was not recognized in the election. This system is considered controversial because it is not direct, general, free, confidential nor fair. "The Noken system was no longer applicable this election this year," he said, adding that in the cities, people flocked to the polling booths with no problem.
The governor also criticized disorderly logistics process on the central mountainous area in Papua, such as Yahukimo Regency. He had previously asked the General Elections Commission (KPU) to submit a report of the voting, not the ballot boxes, for the vote count. "The topography and geographic conditions in Papua make it difficult for large [for large-scale logistics]," he said.
The weather and the site's condition also hampered th voting process in Papua. Lukas said that police officers stationed in the remote areas had difficulty going back yesterday. Some even fell sick there was limited acess to food.
According to Lukas, the legislative elections in Papua must be handled by the right person who understood the conditions in the area. For the logistics to be sent on time, the process has to be done much earlier.
Papua KPU member, Tarwinto, said that 31 out of 51 districts in Yahukimo had already voted. Six districts had not received the election logistics because it could not be sent to the area. An attempt to send it by Susi Air failed because of bad weather on Saturday last week.
Papua Election Supervisory Board member, Anugrah Pata, said that limited air transportation and bad weather became the main obstacle. "So it was not done on purpose," he said.
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