goodmorningpapua.com – 2024 is a political year in which Indonesia will hold a General Election (Election). Slightly different from the previous election since in the 2024 election, Papua has added 4 provinces, so the existence of the Election Perppu in Papua is considered appropriate and deserves appreciation.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has issued Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 1 of 2022 which among its provisions regulates the impact of the formation of four new provinces in Papua on the 2024 elections.
Based on a copy of Perppu 1/2022 amendments to Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections which was uploaded on the JDIH Ministry of State Secretariat, Jakarta, the President of the Republic of Indonesia considered that extraordinary policies and steps were needed to anticipate the impact of the formation of four new provinces namely South Papua, Papua Central, Mountain Papua and Southwest Papua.
It is intended that the 2024 Election will continue according to schedule and stages so as to create domestic political stability.
The other considerations in the Perppu are: that as an implication of the formation of the Provinces of South Papua, Central Papua Province, Papua Pegunungan Province and Southwest Papua Province, it is also necessary to organize electoral districts and allocate seats for members of the House of Representative (DPR), members of the House of Representatives, members of Senate (DPD) and members of the provincial Regional People’s Legislative Council (DPRD) as well as general election organizers.
In issuing the Perppu, the President of the Republic of Indonesia also considered the need to amend several norms in laws relating to institutional strengthening of general election organizers, related to the schedule for the start of the election campaign for members of the DPR, DPD, DPRD and the general election campaign for the President and Vice President.
Then, the changes are also related to the holding of elections in the Archipelago Capital City in 2024, as well as adjustments to electoral districts and adjustments to the number of seats for provincial DPRD members as a result of considering population size.
The Perpu also alters several provisions written in the 2017 Law on Elections. Among the new provisions in the Perppu include Article 10A which reads that the KPU shall form Provincial KPUs in South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, Papua Mountains Province and Papua Barat Dayar Province.
In article 92A, it is also stated that the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) forms the Provincial Bawaslu for all the newly created provinces in Papua.
Article 186 of the Perppu stipulates that the number of seats for members of the DPR is 58 seats. Then the Perppu stipulates that between article 568 and article 569 one article is inserted, namely article 568A which reads:
That the election for the President and Vice President, members of the DPR, DPD, Provincial DPRD and Regency/City DPRD members in 2024 in the East Kalimantan Province which is included in the Archipelago Capital region as referred to in Law Number 3 of 2022 concerning the national capital, remains guided by the provisions in Law number 7 of 2017 concerning general elections.
The Perppu was signed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on December 12, 2022 and promulgated on the same date.
On a different occasion, KPU chairman Hasyim Asy’ari said that his party is currently preparing to form a secretariat to select offices that will later be occupied by the KPU in the four new provinces of Papua.
This was done following the issuance of a Government Regulation in lieu of an Election Law (Perppu) related to the 2024 elections in four new autonomous regions in Papua.
With the issuance of this Perppu, it can be ensured that elections in new autonomous regions in these provinces can be held. So that especially for the DPD Election, the submission of prospective DPD candidates can be done.
Previously, Deputy V of the Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP) Jaleswari Pramodharwani said the government hoped that Perppu Number 1 of 2022 concerning Amendments to Election Law (UU) Number 7 of 2017 could become a guideline for the implementation of good elections.
For her, the government will continue to provide support for the implementation of the 2024 elections.
It is hoped that the Perppu Number 1 of 20022 which has been promulgated can serve as a guideline for election organizers in managing the stages properly. The government will also continue to provide support for the successful implementation of the 2024 elections.
Jaleswari also said that the issuance of the Perppu adjusted to the current conditions, namely the establishment of four new autonomous regions (DOB) in the Papua region.
A copy of the Perppu has also been officially uploaded on the website of the State Secretariat and can be accessed freely or publicly.
August Mellaz as the KPU Commissioner has also confirmed the issuance of the Perppu Pemilu. This will definitely make Papua have 6 Provincial KPU offices.
The issuance of the Election Perppu is of course a measured step from the government, where the KPU itself hopes that the Election Perppu can be issued immediately before December 14, when the stages of the 2024 Election have already begun, namely the determination of political parties, the drawing of serial numbers of political parties and the announcement of political parties participating in the 2024 Election.
Author: Moses Waker (a Papuan student living in Gorontalo)