Biak – Democracy and politics are the identity of the Indonesian people. Conducting various kinds of elections for representatives of the people continues to be enforced as time goes by and the leadership period of the previous occupant expires. The purpose of this is certainly regeneration and provides an opportunity for the people to represent the desires, ideals, and hopes in the area to be more developed and provide the best service.
Biak, Papua, conducted the election of six candidates for the District People’s Representative Council. This election was organized by the Biak Numfor District Election Committee, through the Special Autonomy (Otsus) appointment route in May 2024, after the completion of the Regent Regulation (Perbub).
The Biak Numfor Regency Government is finalizing the Regent Regulation (Perbub) as a working guideline for the committee in conducting the election. Legally, the election of members of the Biak Numfor DPRK for the period 2024-2029 is an implementation of the regulations of Law Number 2 of 2021 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua Province and derivatives of Government Regulation Number 106 of 2021, Governor Regulation to Biak Numfor Regent Regulation in 2024.
Six candidates have been recognized in this election process, with the appointment from path as Papua Special Autonomy based on the laws and regulations that apply in the local area. The selection process will be carried out by a selection team committee that will be formed by the government through the National Unity and Politics Agency (Bakesbangpol).
It is hoped that whoever is elected to the Regency People’s Representative Council (DPRK) can respect the results because this is filtered from representatives of indigenous territories in Biak Numfor Regency. Currently, the election process for DPRK candidates is entering the socialization stage in the customary areas of Biak Numfor Regency. The inauguration of the six elected DPRK members with the inauguration of 25 members of the Biak Numfor Regency Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) as a result of the General Election (Pemilu) on February 14, which is scheduled to take place on October 25, 2024.
The purpose of electing members of the Biak Numfor Regency People’s Representative Council (DPRK), among others, is to:
- Encourage regional development by increasing competitiveness and investment in Biak Numfor Regency.
- Increase local revenue (PAD) through effective strategies.
- Encourage tourism development in Biak Numfor, as expressed by the Head of the Papua Regional Office (Kakanwil), Anthonius M. Ayorbaba, SH., M.Si, that Biak has extraordinary tourism potential and must be upgraded to a Tourism Village.
- Increasing community participation in the decision-making process through the local regulation-making process In order to overcome and make the right decisions by deliberation until consensus.
- Encourage the development of local regulations that favor the community, such as the Raperda Kampung Adat and the Raperda Recognition and Protection of Customary Law Communities, to protect the customary rights of the community.
Biak Numfor Regency received the first phase of the Special Autonomy Fund (Otsus) for 2024 from the central government amounting to Rp. 48 billion. This is adjusted to the regulations to finance regional priority programs for the needs of indigenous Papuans, including education, health, basic infrastructure, and economic empowerment of indigenous Papuan communities.
