Ahead of the 2024 Pilkada, names will be prepared for candidates for acting governors in the 4 new provinces of Papua (Southwest Papua, Mountains Papua, South Papua and Central Papua). The nomination of officials must be in accordance with the Special Autonomy Law (Special Autonomy), namely that it is mandatory for native Papuans (OAP). All parties are expected to comply with the rules and the Special Autonomy Law was indeed made for the Papuan people and it is intended that they be led by native Papuans.
Currently Papua has 6 provinces because there is a new autonomous region. When there is a new province, there will also be a new governor, but they have the status of acting alias temporary. Officials maintain the mandate and carry out their duties properly, so that the Papuan people will always be prosperous.
The 2024 election will be followed by simultaneous Pilkada (Regional Head Elections) and the provinces in Papua must be filled by OAP.
This refers to the Special Autonomy Law (Law 21 of 2021) Article 13 which reads: Those who can be elected as Governors and Deputy Governors are citizens of the Republic of Indonesia with the following conditions: a. Papuan native people; b. Faith and piety to God Almighty; c. Have at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent; d. At least 30 years old; e. Physically and mentally healthy; f. Loyal to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and serving the people of the Papua Province.
The special autonomy for Papua is basically the granting of wider authority to the province and the people of Papua to regulate and manage themselves within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The granting of this authority is also the authority to empower the socio-cultural and economic potential of the Papuan people. This includes providing an adequate role for indigenous Papuans through representatives of their traditions, religion and women.
The priority of indigenous Papuans in the context of regional head elections in the Papua region is in accordance with the spirit of the Papua Special Autonomy Law, and constitutionally this special treatment can be justified.
The requirement “must be native Papuans” is an acknowledgment and respect for regional government units in Papua and West Papua, and the application of this requirement for the positions of Governor and Deputy Governor.
The requirement for native Papuans is absolute and all parties are expected to be unified in nominating officials in the 4 new autonomous regions of Papua. Don’t even nominate other people for various reasons, for example because they are more experienced or richer. If they are not OAP, they will automatically violate the Special Autonomy Law and the case can be brought to justice because there was a violation of the law.
The so-called native Papuans are people born and living in Papua, and their parents are also Papuans. OAP does not mean residents who live in Papua and he is a migrant from another place (outside the island). If it’s like this then the status is immigrant, not OAP.
The selection of OAP as candidates for office in the 4 new autonomous regions of Papua is not racist or for other illogical reasons. The Special Autonomy Law was made for the sake of the Papuan people and they were given the right to develop their own area. One way is by becoming governor and deputy governor, so that it is hoped that he will love the people and advance the Papuan people by increasing their welfare.
The Special Autonomy Law has existed since 2021 and before this law was introduced, the local governments of the provinces of Papua and Papua had actually been held by OAP. Among them are Deputy Governor of Papua Klemen Tinal (late), Governor of West Papua for 2017-2022 Doweeks Mandacan. They are Papuan sons who excel, therefore they are trusted by the people to be governors and deputy governors.
Meanwhile, a Papuan women’s leader, Anike Tence Sabami, stated that the first guideline in selecting an acting governor in the new autonomous region of Papua is that he must be a native Papuan. This is regulated in Law Number 2 of 2021, concerning Special Autonomy for the Papua Province, where in Government Regulation Number 106 or 107, it provides protection for the authenticity of Papua.
Government Regulation Number 106 of 2021 regulates the authority and institutions for implementing the special autonomy policy for the province of Papua. Meanwhile, Government Regulation Number 107 is about reception, management, supervision, and a master plan for accelerating development in the framework of implementing special autonomy for the province of Papua.
Anike added that there is another requirement that is equally important, namely that the native Papuan must be neutral from political interests. A neutral figure will free the acting governor from practical political interests and political investment going forward.
In a sense, the OAP who is appointed as a candidate for office in the 4 new autonomous regions must really be Papuan and he is neutral. With its neutrality, it will not be easily steered by interest groups. The candidacy rations for officials in the Papua New Guinea must really be OAP because it is their right. The Special Autonomy Law also states that governors and deputy governors in Papua provinces must be native Papuans. The goal is that they can build their own area to move forward.
