Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – The death toll from violent clashes between supporters of rival political candidates in Papua's Tolikara district now stands at six while the number of injured is nearing triple figures.

The contest for district head, initially scheduled for Friday, was postponed indefinitely on Thursday amid continuing violence.

"Supporters from both sides are still engaging in fights, and they are still seen in parts of [district capital] Kaburaga ready to fight," Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said.

In Jakarta, National Police headquarters confirmed six men died and at least 85 people were injured during the clashes, which began earlier this week in Kaburaga.

Paulus said that so far the police had only found one body because the others had been cremated. "We have information that in accordance with the local customs, the bodies of other victims have been burned," he said.

The election involves Golkar-backed incumbent John Tabo and his running mate Edi Suyanto, and the Democratic Party's Usman Wanimbo and running mate Amos Jikwa.

Paulus said he had asked both tickets to withdraw their candidacies so security in the capital could be restored and the election rescheduled. "Although we have many police and troops guarding the city, we can't prevent the clashes as long as the candidates don't cooperate," he said.

The police bolstered its forces in Tolikara on Friday, with 65 officers from Jayapura, adding to what was already a hundreds-strong contingent.

The chaos, Paulus said, meant the police had not been able to identify who was responsible for the killings. "The supporters are still with their own groups. We can't separate the perpetrators the others," he said.

The police said the conflict began when Tabo, the current district head, rejected the new members of the elections committee, who were inaugurated on Jan. 4. Tabo's camp has questioned the neutrality of the committee and demanded that new members be selected.

In response to the perceived injustice, the police said, Tabo mobilized his supporters to stage rallies, prompting Usman's backers to organize counter-rallies. That precipitated a series of brawls that have taken place since January. Last month, one clash resulted in the death of a teenage boy, Yusuf Yikwa.

Papua of late has seen a spate of politically charged violence, particularly in the newly established district of Puncak Papua, where at least 30 people have died in a feud that has lasted nearly seven months.

Supporters of Elvis Tabuni, the speaker of the Puncak Papua legislative council, and backers of Simon Alom, who led the transitional administration during the establishment of the district, have been engaging in an ongoing fight since July over an election dispute.

Siti Zuhro, a regional autonomy expert from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), has said the central government and the General Elections Commission (KPU) need to do a better job of ensuring that elections in Papua can be carried out peacefully, as the region has a history of tribal violence.

This was especially necessary, she said, in new administrative regions such as Puncak Papua. Regional elections are prone to disputes and clashes, she said, and could cause widespread conflicts if the KPU fails to assert itself independently.