The Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP) has submitted seven pairs of gubernatorial candidates to the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) for verification amid problems that have mounted ahead of the upcoming election.
“We have submitted the names to the MRP to verify
whether the candidates are Papuans. Based on the 2011 Law No. 21 on
Special Autonomy Status to Papua, the governor and the deputy must be
Papuans,” said Yunus Wonda, DPRP deputy head, while meeting MRP head
Mathius Murib on Friday.
The candidate pairs are Habel Melkias
Suwae - Yop Kogoya; MR Kambu –Blasius Pakage; Alex Hesegem – Marthen
Kayoi and Lukas Enembe – Klemen Tinal, who are all backed by political
parties, while Welington Wenda – Weynand Watori; Noak Nawipa - John Wob
and John Karubaba – Willy B Magai are running as independents.
During the verification process, the candidates will be invited to Jayapura to be interviewed, Mathius said.
Yunus
said that verification might take two weeks before the data was sent
back to the DPRP and the General Elections Commissions (KPUD) to prepare
the voting process.
The Home Ministry, the Papuan Legislative
Council (DPRP) and the Papuan People’s Council (MRP) previously agreed
to hold the long-awaited gubernatorial election in Papua in mid August.