The Situation In Kaimana, West Papua, Is Conducive After The Mass Anarchist Action Of Supporters Of Batu To The Bawaslu Office

Head of Public Relations of the West Papua Police, Kombes Pol Ongky Isgunawan, when met by media crews in Manokwari. (ANTARA/Fransiskus Salu Weking)

MANOKWARI - West Papua Police ensured that the security and security situation in Kaimana Regency was conducive after the Bawaslu decision which rejected the lawsuit of one candidate pair for individual regional head. Head of Public Relations of the West Papua Police, Kombes Ongky Isgunawan, said that the mass supporters of the candidate pair would not accept the results of the Kaimana Bawaslu decision. The masses then carried out anarchic actions by throwing stones at the Bawaslu office and the security forces, but were successfully controlled after the police took decisive action. "After the incident on September 3, 2024 until today, the condition of the security and social order in Kaimana has been monitored to be as conducive as usual," said Ongky in Manokwari, Antara, Thursday, September 5. In the evening, said Ongky, the police together with the local government, traditional leaders, religious leaders, and community leaders immediately held a meeting with the two pairs of prospective candidates. In the meeting, all parties agreed to jointly maintain security stability in Kaimana Regency to support the smooth implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada. "Forkopimda in Kaimana has met with disputed parties and it has been agreed to ensure the smooth running of the regional elections," he said. Currently, he said, the number of BKO personnel from the West Papua Police involved in the Mansionam II Mantap Praja Operation (OMP) to secure the implementation of the 2024 Pilkada in Kaimana Regency is 61 personnel. The operation was carried out from August 27, 2024 to February 2025 with the aim of strengthening the security pattern of the Kaimana Resort Police (Polres), so that the democratic party took place safely, orderly, and peacefully. Chairman of West Papua Bawalu Elias Idie explained that the election dispute proposed by candidate pair Abdul Rahim Furuada and Luther Rumpumbo (RAMBO) had been completely rejected. The rejection relates to qualification and objectivity to support requirements for individual candidate pairs, such as mismatch with ID cards during the factual verification process. "Bawaslu Kaimana's ranks have read out the decision on September 3, 2024. All the application materials have been completely rejected," said Elias Idie. The provincial Bawaslu, he said, then informed the results of the Bawaslu decision of Kaimana Regency regarding the submission of a dispute for one individual candidate pair to the Indonesian Bawaslu in Jakarta. Based on the monitoring of the provincial Bawaslu, he said, the decision to reject all Pilkada 2024 dispute material from the individual candidate pairs is still in the corridor of regulations and legislation.

"As long as we carry out monitoring and assistance, the decision taken by Bawaslu Kaimana is in accordance with the rules," he said.