Papua Governor vows to Improve Otsus Implementation

Newly elected Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has vowed to improve the implementation of Papua’s Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law No. 21/2001. He said improvements were necessary as many Papuans continued to complain about the lack of benefits.

 “My first priority is to handle the obstacles. I have informed the President about this,” Lukas, former Puncak Jaya regent, said.

Many Papuan activists and students staged a mass rally to protest the lack of prosperity 12 years since the Special Autonomy Law was introduced.

Papua's Provinicial Legislative Council (DPRD) councilor Thomas Songgonauw said he expected Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi to install Lukas so that the Papua administration would have a definitive governor.

 “The Papua people have been waiting for a governor for two years,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the gubernatorial election results had been supported by the Constitutional Court, which ruled in favor of the Papua General Elections Commission (KPUD) declaration that Lukas Enembe and his running mate, Klemen Tinal, had been elected governor and deputy governor, respectively, for the 2013-2018 period.

Previously, the five defeated candidate pairs filed suits with the Constitutional Court, questioning the result of the KPUD’s plenary meeting that found in favor of Lukas and Klemen.

Chairman of the Fellowship of Papuan Churches, Reverend Lipiyus Biniluk, has asked every Papuan to stop bickering about the election and focus on how to build a better Papua.

''Forget all the differences. Let’s build a better future for Papua,'' he said. [The Jakarta Post]