Election in Papua Delayed due to Lack of Materials

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The General Election Commission (KPU) reported problems in distributing the logistics of the 2020 Regional Election in several regions of Papua, particularly in Yalimo, Yahukimo, and Pegunungan Bintang. 

The KPU Commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi explained that the issue was related to voting ballots and noken (the province’s traditional bags).

“In Yalimo regency, there is a distribution issue in an area because a mass of people reject the logistic distribution and block it off,” said Pramono in an online press conference on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Pramono said that the mass asked for the use of noken as a voting system. “So until this morning, the problem could not be resolved yet. It is possible to establish a follow-up election,” he added.

In Yahukimo regency, meanwhile, only 21 out of 51 districts had the voting materials as of yesterday, Dec. 8. The logistic distribution was then carried out massively this morning, yet eight districts have not yet received the materials

“We are still waiting for information from there because KPU officers in Yahukimo or Papua are communicating with Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Board) of the possibility to hold regional elections later in the eight districts,” Pramono said.

Pramono went on to say that out of 51 districts in Yahukimo, only one district used the ballot method, while the other 50 districts applied the noken system. 

Read: Regional Election Day; Health Protocols to be Obeyed

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