West Papua Election Officials at Odds Over Candidate Pair
Denpasar, Bali. Election officials in the West Papua district of Kaimana could face the boot for not allowing a candidate pair to run, even though the two passed a vetting by the local Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu).
According to the Bawaslu, Matias Maimura and Ismail Sirefa should be allowed to run on Dec. 9, in the nation's first simultaneous, nationwide regional elections.
But the local branch of the General Election Commission (KPUD) apparently is unwilling to give the pair the green light, national-level KPU chairman Husni Kamil Manik has said.
"If the Kaimana KPUD keeps this disrespectful stance, we will fire the officials of the KPUD,” Husni said in Bali on Thursday.
If that were to happen, the KPU would take control and let Matias and Ismail run, he explained, adding that legal steps against the local officials might also follow.
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