Governor: Papua Mountains Regional Head Election Runs Safely

Papua Indonesia – Acting Governor of Papua Pegunungan Province Velix Vernando Wanggai ensured that up to D + 1 the Pilkada voting was generally safe, unlike what was predicted that Papua Pegunungan was one of the areas mapped as high-risk.

This was conveyed by Velix Wanggai during a press conference at the Pilkada Desk secretariat at the GKI Wamena Sunday School building, Thursday (11/28/2024).

“We were mapped in the context of the simultaneous Pilkada in Indonesia, Papua Pegunungan is considered a high-risk area, high-risk. In general, the voting on the 27th went well overall, there were no massive incidents that disrupted public services. This is what we monitored until last night,” he said.

The Governor said that since the last two days, his party has ensured that logistics distribution can be carried out smoothly in each district and most of it went smoothly. Furthermore, after D + 1, his party through the Pilkada Desk continues to build collaboration with the TNI/Polri leaders and the Regents of 8 Districts to monitor the situation in the field.

“We realize that we are paying attention to several regencies, Central Mamberamo Regency, Yalimo, Tolikara which did have minor incidents in several polling stations but we are still managing the incidents so that there is a best way,” said Wanggai.

He also admitted that several polling stations in Kelila District, Mamteng Regency have not yet held voting due to several minor logistical distribution constraints, but he ensured that the process would continue until the follow-up voting.

“We have to ensure that in several villages the logistics distribution runs well today so that follow-up voting can take place today. But in general from our side, the public service executive until today, 8 regencies, especially the capital city, are running well,” he explained.

In the same place, the Deputy Chief of Papua Police, Brigadier General Pol. Faizal Ramadhani said that based on the Pilkada vulnerability mapping index, the Papua Mountains are indeed a very vulnerable area, but thanks to the coordination and cooperation of all stakeholders in general, it is running well and smoothly.

“Although of course there are still dynamics here and there and of course we will continue to maintain security in this case. We also have troop reinforcements in Central Mamberamo, until this morning the situation was actually under control, hopefully in the future the situation will be even better,” he said.

RRI monitoring in the field, the situation in Wamena City, Jayawijaya Regency, the capital of Papua Pegunungan Province, has been safe and under control since yesterday’s voting day until D+1, there were no prominent things that had the potential to disrupt Kamtibmas. Economic activities and other public services are running as usual (*).