Jakarta – Thirty-nine out of the 40 districts in Jayawijaya regency, Papua, will vote using the noken system during the simultaneous general election on April 17.
Under this system a group of voters are represented by one person, who is usually appointed by their community through a general agreement. The appointed representative will later report the group's votes to election officials.
The system, named after the Papuan traditional woven bag, takes into consideration the difficult terrain that makes it difficult for eligible voters in far-flung, isolated regions to cast their ballots.
"The General Elections Commission [KPU] has ordered that the regency capital [Wamena] should not use the noken system, but the other 39 districts are allowed to," Jayawijaya KPU head Sonimo Lani said on Wednesday as quoted by Antara.
"Three subdistricts in the Wamena district – namely Sinapuk, Sinakma, and Wamena along with several villages – will not use the noken system in accordance with the technical guidance we received," he added.
Papua KPU logistics division head Zufri Abu Bakar said 12 out of the 29 regencies in Papua would use it, but only seven would use it in other regencies.
"For example, the noken system will be used in Jayawijaya, Lanny Jaya, Central Mamberamo, Tolikara and Yahukimo but not at all polling stations," he added. (kmt)