Jayapura – The excitement of the democratic party has entered the campaign stage after the General Elections Commission (KPU) determined the candidate pairs participating in the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) on September 23.
All regencies, cities, and provinces in Indonesia, including Papua, which hold simultaneous elections, start the campaign stage on September 25 to October 23, 2024 or last for 60 days.
The campaign stages that lasted long enough could have sparked conflict between supporters of candidate pairs if socialization to the community was not carried out carefully and openly.
Therefore, the conducive atmosphere leading up to the implementation of regional elections in Papua must be maintained as proof that the people of Cenderawasih Earth are able to be part of the success of organizing electoral political celebrations in Indonesia.
In Papua Province, there are 31 pairs of candidates running in simultaneous regional elections, including two candidates for Governor and Deputy Governor of Papua, four candidates for Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Jayapura, five candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Jayapura, three candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Sarmi, three candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Keerom, three candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Supiori, three candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Biak Numfor, four candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Mamberamo Raya, and four candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Yapen Islands.
Before the KPU determines the candidate pairs participating in the regional elections, a series of intensive socialization is carried out. One of them is by the Papua Province Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) to convey a message of love in organizing peaceful elections in the region through joint prayers in a grand interfaith worship service held by the FKUB of Papua Province on September 19, 2024 at Istora Papua Bangkit, Jayapura Regency.
The joint prayer of five religious leaders, namely, Catholicism, Islam, Protestant Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, is a joint entrance to maintain peace during the run-up and implementation of regional elections in Papua.
FKUB Papua Chairman Lipius Biniluk said the important message of the event was how all people could maintain harmony and peace in the local community which consists of various ethnic groups and religions.
The responsibility in maintaining security and peace during the election period is not only on the shoulders of the security forces, but also the entire state civil apparatus (ASN). They must be directly involved in maintaining peace in the community as a form of joint commitment to make Papua the land of peace.
The same message was also conveyed by the Keerom Customary Council Jokubus Mekawa, who asked all indigenous people to always maintain security to remain conducive during the campaign stages until voting.
Simultaneous regional elections are a national agenda that is held every five years. For this reason, all citizens in Keerom Regency are asked to maintain togetherness in diversity.
Keerom Regency is one of the regions in Papua that borders directly with Papua New Guinea. All people who have the right to vote, including in the border area, must be able to succeed in a safe, smooth and peaceful election.
“We are together with the security forces to create a safe situation, by means of a dialogical approach so that the elections take place democratically and produce leaders chosen by the people,” he said.
The Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) also invited all parties to support and succeed the elections that took place on November 27, 2024, by participating in maintaining security and order.
MRP Second Vice Chairman Max Ohee assessed that the election is the best momentum for the Papuan people to get regional leaders, who together with the community, build the Land of Papua for the better in the future.
Therefore, the Papuan people must be smart in receiving any information and not be easily provoked by gossip or rumors carried out by irresponsible parties in order to thwart the elections.
Everyone who lives in Papua is obliged to maintain peace while overseeing the regional head election process so that it can give birth to legitimate leaders and can build a more prosperous Papua.
