Indonesia To Review Requirement For Papua District Heads To Be Ethnic Papuans

Worldwide news distributed by Tapol:

On 7 May 2010, Presidential Special Staffer for Regional Autonomy and  Development Velix Wanggai said that the Papuan People’s Council (MRP)

regulation that states that district head and mayoral positions must  be filled by ethnic Papuans needs further consideration before it is implemented.

He said one issue that needed to be resolved by the MRP was the definition of an ethnic Papuan. Wanggai said the implementation of the regulation was within the  authority of the MRP. However, he questioned the manner in which the MRP was safeguarding the rights of ethnic Papuans.

Wanggai explained that there was a need in Papua for aspects of  Indonesian nationalism to be incorporated into the requirements relating to ethnic Papuans running in regional head elections.

He said that a process of discrimination against non-ethnic Papuans should not be introduced.

“If the process continues as is, then it will be Papuan and non ethnic-Papua pairings running [in regional head elections],” he said.

Source: Republika, Jakarta, in Indonesian 7 May 10

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