Police: 1,297 Polling Stations in Papua Yet to Conduct Voting

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A total of 1,297 polling stations or TPS in Papua have not yet conducted voting due to the distribution issue of election logistics and the social conflict over the implementation of the noken voting system.

Papua Police Chief Inspector General Mathius D. Fakhiri explained that voting had taken place at 13,916 TPS out of a total of 15,213 TPS operating in the region. 

However, the noken system and logistics distribution have caused hindrances in Central Papua (1,172 TPS), Papua Highlands (91 TPS), and Papua Province (34 TPS), leading to the inability to hold elections.

Under the noken system, a group of voters is represented by a person appointed through an agreement. The appointed representative later reports the group's votes to election officials.

“This noken system carries a high risk of social conflict. As in Puncak Jaya, there was a tug-of-war over the mass vote, so the vote could not be held,” Fakhiri said in a written statement on February 15.

“But we are grateful that there was no interference from armed criminal groups,” Fakhiri added.

In Paniai Regency, the vote was delayed due to a misunderstanding over election logistics, which led to damage to ballot boxes by some masses during distribution on February 12.

DESTY LUTHFIANI

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