Papuan Police Chief: KPU Must Be Neutral Don't Let Boven Cases Emulate

Papua Police Chief Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri. (ANTARA/Evarukdijati)

MERAUKE - Papua Police Chief Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri asked the KPU commissioners in the implementation of the 2024 Simultaneous Election not to repeat the 2019 Pilkada case that occurred in Boven Digul Regency, South Papua.

"Almost all commissioners of the Boven Digul KPU and the Papuan KPU were replaced because of a violation," said Papuan Police Chief Inspector General Fakhiri in his briefing in front of KPU and Bawaslu members as well as political party officials participating in the South Papua election in Merauke as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 10.

The Papuan Police Chief in the 2024 election safari accompanied by Pangdam XVII/Cenderawasih represented by Kapoksahli Brigadier General Ahmad Fauzi and KaBINDA Papua represented by Kabagops Kol Inf Leo Lajendra warned that a similar incident would not happen again.

The KPU commissioner as the organizer must be completely neutral so that the implementation of elections without a protracted dispute occurs.

Especially now that elections are held simultaneously so that they are expected to take place democratically.

The TNI-Polri are also trying to secure a democratic party that will take place in four provinces in Tanah Papua by placing their personnel on guard at the outside of the TPS.

The Papua Police Chief said that during the election, his party had asked for additional 10 SSK personnel.

The additional personnel will later be deployed in areas deemed prone to security disturbances.

"Hopefully the National Police Headquarters will grant the request so that it can strengthen Papuan Police personnel in carrying out security," hoped the Papuan Police Chief.