House to consider only proposal to promote 30 areas into regencies of Papua

Regencies of Papua

“Now it is up to us legislators from Papua and West Papua to push for the acceptance of the proposal in the House”

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) – A legislator said only 30 of 70 areas proposed to become regencies in the provinces of Papua and West Papua would be considered for deliberations of the House of Representatives.

Papua and West Papua are also proposed to be split into seven provinces, Yorries Raweyai, a lawmaker of the Commission I of The House of Representatives from Papua, said.

However, only the proposal to promote the status of 30 areas into new autonomous areas (DOB), would be discussed between the House and the Government, Yorries said here on Monday.

He said Grime Nawa in the regency of Jayapura, is one of the 30 areas in the priority agenda for discussions by the House and the government.

“Now it is up to us legislators from Papua and West Papua to push for the acceptance of the proposal in the House,” he said, adding implementation is expected after the general elections in 2014.

He said elections for regional leaders would be held at once at the same time with the general election.

Regencies of Papua (Uu.H-ASG/O001)

Notes:

Located on the western half of the island of New Guinea and long racked by a simmering violent separatist insurgency, Papua encompasses Indonesia’s two easternmost provinces.

A former Dutch colony, West Papua has formally returned to Indonesia in 1969.

The undisputed vote of about 1,025 representative tribal leaders has chosen to join Indonesia.

The United Nations endorsed the result of the plebiscite and the world recognized West Papua as part Indonesia.

West Papuan people have elected the leaders of Papua and West Papua provinces.

The election in West Papua has strengthened the legality of the region as a province of Indonesia.

Since 2007, Abdurrahman Wahid administration changed the name from Irian Jaya to Papua.

Papua gained a “Special Autonomy” status, a political compromise between Papuans and the central government.

In 2001, politicians in Jakarta agreed to proceed with the implementation of the Special Autonomy.