Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua government, the legislature and customary leaders must sit together to synchronize their perception about 14 seats for indigenous Papuans in the Papua Legislative Council, a member of Commission I overseeing legal and human rights affairs said.
Emus Gwijangge said although the government and legislature have approved the Special Regional Regulation (Perdasus) on 14 seats, they are still divided.
“They still have opposing views. I personally think that a lot of groups will appear. Moreover, if the Papua People’s Assembly, Papua’s Legislative Council, the government and customary council are not integrated. Thus, all parties need to sit together, so then Perdasus could be applied,” Gwijangge told Jubi on Tuesday (20/01).
He also assumed there would be a candidate from the Political Party who failed in the last Legislature Election intended using the 14 seats’ policy. In fact, he further said, those who could be appointed are the representatives of customary people who never been involved with a Political Party or proposed a legislature candidate.
“But, whatever it is, the 14 seats must be realized. If possible, the inauguration ceremony could be held in March. But the Papua’s Legislative Council has no authority in recruiting the candidates, it only establish a Special Committee for the formation of the Provincial Selection Committee and recommended it to the government,” he said.
He said even though it would be a lot of arisen issues, but this policy must be implemented. Furthermore, it has been initiated since long time ago, but until now it has not executed yet. “So, at first it needs to be clarified. If there are something unsuitable, please sit and talk,” he said.
Meanwhile, the representative of Mamberamo Tabi (Mamta) Customary Council, Agapus Kere criticized the Special Regional Regulation of 14 seats for indigenous Papuans. He said the Mamta Council wanted the regulation to be revised because the division of customary area was not done properly. The Mamta customary area is supposed to consist the areas of Mamberamo, Tami, Tabi and its surrounding areas, but the regulation determined the Mamberamo Raya Regency as part of the Saireri customary area. “There is a mistake in dividing the customary areas in the Perdasus,” Agapus Kere told Jubi. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
