Jayapura- The vibrant democratic party has entered the campaign stage after the General Election Commission (KPU) determined the candidate pairs for the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Election (Pilkada) on September 23.
All districts, cities and provinces in Indonesia, including Papua, which are holding regional elections simultaneously, will start the campaign phase on September 25 to October 23 2024 or last for 60 days.
The campaign stages, which lasted quite a long time, could have sparked conflict between the couple’s supporters if outreach to the public was not carried out carefully and openly.
Therefore, a conducive atmosphere leading up to the implementation of the regional elections in Papua must be maintained as proof that the people of Bumi Cenderawasih are capable of being part of the successful holding of electoral political celebrations in Indonesia.
In Papua Province there are 31 pairs of candidates or candidate pairs running in the simultaneous regional elections, including two candidates for Governor and Deputy Governor of Papua, four candidates for Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Jayapura, five candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Jayapura, three candidates for Regent and Deputy Regent of Sarmi, three candidate pairs for the Regent and Deputy Regent of Keerom, three candidate pairs for the Regent and Deputy Regent of Supiori, three candidate pairs for the Regent and Deputy Regent of Biak Numfor, four candidate pairs for the Regent and Deputy Regent of Mamberamo Raya, and four candidate pairs for the Regent and Deputy Regent of the Yapen Islands.
Before the KPU determines the candidate pairs participating in the regional elections, a series of socialization activities are intensively carried out. One of them is by the Papua Province Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) to convey a message of love in holding peaceful regional elections in the regions through joint prayer in a grand interfaith service held by the Papua Province FKUB on September 19 2024 at Istora Papua Bangkit, Jayapura Regency.
The joint prayer of five religious leaders, namely, Catholics, Muslims, Protestant Christians, Hindus and Buddhists, is a joint entry point to maintain peace during the lead-up to and implementation of the regional elections in Papua.
Chairman of FKUB Papua Lipius Biniluk stated that the important message from the event was how all people can maintain harmony and prosperity in the local community which consists of various ethnicities and religions.
The responsibility for maintaining security and calm during the regional elections does not only fall on the shoulders of the security forces, but also the entire state civil apparatus (ASN). They must be directly involved in maintaining peace in society as a form of joint commitment to make Papua a land of peace.
