TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - General Election Commission (KPU) commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi said the commission was still awaiting security assurances from the Indonesian military (TNI) and the police (Polri) before carrying out postponed regional elections in two regencies in Papua, viz. Nduga and Pania regencies, and at scores of poling stations in Yakuhimo regency.
“Until now, we keep coordinating with TNI and Polri on when they will give security assurances to hold regional elections in those areas," Pramono said in his office on Thursday, June 28.
According to Pramono, the logistic distribution was hampered in Paniai regency due to security concerns. While in Yakuhimo regency, as many as 87 polling stations failed to hold the voting. “Papua needs serious measures [for the election],” he said.
Promono expected the voting would resume before the recapitulation day at the district level. “We hope before July 3 [the voting] will be held. But it’s rather difficult in the Paniai region, so we demand [security] assurances from TNI and Police for a conducive situation,” he added.
Home Affairs Ministry’s Public Relations head (Kapuspen) Bahtiar said the ministry had contacted the Papua's acting governor on recent developments in the area. Bahtiar said Papua is in a safe state.
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“There is no extreme case. There are disruptions from certain civil armed groups, which regularly take place in mountainous areas, but in general there is no problem in Papua," Bahtiar said in his office on Thursday, June 28.
Bachtiar said elections in Nduga regency was hampered by the local KPU, whose commissioner had been suspended and his duties assumed by the Papua Provincial KPU. "Bu the committee was late on D-day, so it [the election] was postponed," he said.
Earlier reports said the situation in Nduga regency, Papua, was simmering in light of attacks by an armed group on an airliner carrying dozens of police officers at Kenyam airport on June 25, or two days prior to the elections.
DEWI NURITA
