Jayapura – A new local political party, Papua Bersatu (Papua United), will be declared next week, its chairman said.
The declaration was to be on Monday (18/11) in Jayapura, the General Chairman of Papua Unite Party, Cris Fonataba said. He said the establishment of a local party is in accordance with article 28 of Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law.
"The idea to establish a local party was a result of considerations and discussions among components of society in Papua. The community's components and student senate would participate in its declaration," Fonataba said on Thursday (13/11).
However, he said, it has no connection with the 14 seats for the indigenous Papuans at the Papua's Parliament, but simply to support the thought of the Papua's Parliament and Papuan People's Assembly and the people of Papua.
Earlier, the law expert from the Cenderawasih University, Yusak Reba said he thought the Otsus Law was not clear about the establishment of a local political party, unlike in Aceh.
"Thus, such discourse will only be a waste. The article 28 does not include the mechanism and the legal basis to establish the local political party. It has multiple and vague interpretations. Therefore it's difficult to realize a local political party (in Papua)," Reba told Jubi in the early of October.
He further said the vagueness includes the absence of legal basis to regulate the establishment of local party, and it couldn't be included in the Special Regional Law (Perdasus/Perdasi) because it would contradict with the Political Party Law.
According to him, the different between Aceh and Papua about this issue is related to the Papua's struggle to develop and improve the Special Autonomy Law.
"To realize a local political party in Papua, the Papua's Parliament must endorse the local materials on the political party regulation, which consisted a separate chapter allowing the establishment of local political party in Papua in proper with the Article 28 of the Otsus Law," said Reba. (Arjuna Pademme)