Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – A 23-member delegation from the Papua provincial legislative council is protesting the installment of the controversial West Irian Jaya council.

Paskalis Mossu, the deputy chairman of the Papua provincial legislature, said on Friday the move by Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'aruf to issue a decree on the inauguration of the West Irian Jaya council showed the central government's lack of seriousness in implementing full special autonomy status for Papua.

"Papuan people have fully supported President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his government for his strong commitment to implementing the Law No.

21/2001 on special autonomy, to suspend the West Irian Jaya council, and encourage the immediate establishment of the Papua People's Council (MRP) to tackle the West Irian Jaya issue. However, all these political commitments have evaporated after Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf issued a decree on the inauguration of the West Irian Jaya provincial legislature recently and as many as 25 of 44 members of the provincial legislature were inaugurated by the chief of the West Irian Jaya High Court on Thursday," he said.

The creation of West Irian Jaya province has triggered conflicts between Papua people and security forces.

At least three people were killed and dozens of others were injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of the establishment of the new province in 2003.

The previous president Megawati Soekarnoputri issued a controversial decree in 2003, which effectively implemented Law No. 45/1999 on the division of Papua into three provinces: West Irian Jaya, Central Irian Jaya and Papua.

The controversy led to a judicial review by the Constitutional Court, which issued an ambiguous decision.

The Court annulled in November of last year certain chapters of Law No. 45/1999 which would make any division of Papua unconstitutional because it went against the special autonomy law. The court, however, also recognized the existence of West Irian Jaya province because it already had an operating central administration, a legislature and four elected members to the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) in Jakarta.

The partition of Papua has seen by some as an effort by the central government to divide and conquer the province, where a low-level secessionist movement has been simmering since the 1960s.

Paskalis said he and his delegation were in Jakarta to consult with the Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Finance Jusuf Anwar, and House of Representatives leaders in line with the ongoing preparations for the MRP election scheduled for June.

Yan Ayomi, chairman of the Golkar Party faction at the Papua provincial legislature, said legislators were disappointed with the central government's move to quietly support the creation of a separate political institution in West Irian Jaya.

"This is a strong indication that Jakarta is not serious in resolving the Papua issue and the Home Ministry and its high-echelon officials have engaged in supporting the political process in West Irian Jaya to make money. Papua has financially nurtured West Irian Jaya but it has also received development funds from the central government in running the public administration," he said.

Paskalis said the delegation has agreed to call for a meeting involving all elements in Papua and call on the provincial legislature to hold a special plenary session. The session would have two main agenda; to return the special autonomy rule to Jakarta and to propose a no-confidence motion in central government, he said.