Papua governor rejects two new province proposals

Gubernur Papua, Lukas Enembe.(foto/http://www.shnews.co

Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has announced his refusal toward two autonomous region proposals from South and Central Papua. Lukas reasoned that the proposals were not properly mulled and violated existing procedure needed to be taken.

“There are procedures that need to be taken in order to be able to propose an autonomous region and it can’t just be done to satisfy the interest of certain groups,” he said on Tuesday.

The statement was issued at the same time as the House of Representatives statement, mulling over 65 autonomous region proposals throughout the country, including three new provinces in Papua.

The same proposals were also rejected by previous Papua governor Barnabas Suebu.

According to Papua Special Autonomy Law no.21/2001, an autonomous region proposal should be approved by the Papua People Council (MRP), the Papua Provincial Council (DPRD) and the governor before it is proposed to the House of Representatives.

Echoing a similar view, Reverend John Jonga, a Yap Thiam Hien award recipient, said the province should be focused on improving and expanding service to its people so the welfare could be well distributed.

“We don’t have good precedents on autonomous regions up to this date. The number of poor people is still high even when the region gets the opportunity to manage itself,” he said.(dic)

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