Papua authorities will summon the candidates whose rivalry has sparked a violent electoral conflict in Tolikara district to meet and make peace, acting Papua Governor Syamsul Arief Rivai said on Thursday.
“They will be asked to reach an agreement and we will ask them to calm their respective supporters,” Syamsul said.
He was referring to the two pairs of candidates running for Tolikara district chief and deputy. They are Jhon Tabo running with Edi Suyanto and Usman Wanimbo with Amos Jikwa.
He did not say when the meeting would happen, only that it would be in the near future.
Police said the conflict, which left 11 people dead, 201 injured and 122 houses torched, began when Tabo rejected election committee members who were inaugurated on Jan. 4.
Tabo’s camp questioned the neutrality of the committee and demanded that new members be installed.
Police said Tabo mobilized his supporters to stage rallies, prompting Usman’s backers to organize counter-rallies and sparking a series of brawls.
Syamsul said with conditions now stabilized, elections could be held soon, but he gave no date.
The election was originally set for Feb. 17 but had to be indefinitely postponed due to the violence, which only ended on Saturday.
Meanwhile the head of the Tolikara chapter of the Democratic Party, Benny Kogoya, said he would report the Feb. 15 attack on his house and the party’s office by supporters of Jhon Tabo and Edy Suyanto. He said tear gas and shots were fired into both buildings.
“We hope that the Papua Police will comprehensively investigate this and take action against the intellectual actors, the motivators of the attack that caused loss of life, injuries and material losses,” he said.