Local elections in Papua will be postponed.

Slightly abridged in translation
Bintang Papua, 18 April 2010

It has now be decided that local elections in Papua and West Papua will be postponed following disputes within society, primarily because of the decision - SK 14 - adopted by the Majelis Rakyat Papua (MRP) which says that top administrative positions, district heads and deputy district heads and mayors and deputy mayors should be held by indigenous Papuans.

The Elections Commission (KPU) has just announced that in view of disputes that have emerged within society, the local elections in Papua and West Papua will be postponed.

A spokesman for the Commission said this was a very serious matter and raises problems about holding local elections at the same time throughout the country.

He said that according to the regulations in force, this applies only to the position of governor of the provinces. The postponement will affect elections in 21 districts in the province of Papua and eleven districts in the province of West Papua.

The chairman of the KPU for Papua, Benny Sweny confirmed that the elections would be postponed but could not give further details as he had not yet received written notification of the decision. There will likely be a postponement of 60 days to give time for the drafting of the necessary law.

He said that local elections would also be postponed in several other provinces where disputes have arisen. These are the provinces of North Sulawesi, East Java and the Riau archipelago. This would mean being in conflict with the need to hold local elections simultaneously throughout the country.