Any demand for "mahar" should be reported to him because the Golkar executive board members will act sternly against those practicing transactional politics
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - The Central Executive Board of the Golkar Party-Papua Chapter has opened registrations for those interested in being nominated as regional head candidates to join the simultaneous regional elections in 11 districts on September 23, 2020. The Golkar Party has not requested "mahar" (dowry) or "transactional politics" from applicants for the 2019 simultaneous regional election, General Chairman of the Golkar Party-Papua Chapter Klemen Tinal said in Jayapura Thursday.

Any demand for "mahar" should be reported to him because the Golkar executive board members will act sternly against those practicing transactional politics, Tinal stated.

Waropen, Supiori, Merauke, Yalimo, Boven Digul, Asmat, Mamberamo Raya, Nabire, Keerom, Pegunungan Bintang, and Yahukimo are the districts participating in the simultaneous election.

The Golkar Party will prioritize its cadres for nominations but if they are less popular than those who are not the party's cadres based on the results of pollsters, Golkar would choose the most popular applicants, he added.

On October 8, 2019, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, General Elections Commission (KPU) Chairman Arief Budiman, and the KPU chairpersons and officials from 11 districts had launched this 2020 simultaneous regional election in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province.

Eligible Papuans will vote in the simultaneous regional election on September 23, 2020, as violence and ongoing security threats of notorious armed Papuan rebels continue to pose a challenge to this province.

Over these past two months, a spate of violence broke out in several parts of Papua and West Papua in the upshot of the Surabaya incident and fake news that had triggered public ire among native Papuans.

On August 28, violence broke out in Deiyai District, some 500 kilometers away from Jayapura, resulting in the deaths of an army soldier and two civilians.

Protests were again held on August 29 by the indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura, as they vented their ire over the alleged racist behavior against their Papuan compatriots in Surabaya, but their rally then turned violent.

On September 23, a deadly riot had erupted in Wamena, the capital city of Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, killing 33 civilians, including a senior medical doctor, who had served the native Papuans for 15 years. (INE)
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Translator: Hendrina DK, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019