Home Minister Inaugurates Three New Provinces in Papua

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian inaugurates three new provinces in Papua, Friday (11/11). (Photo: Screenshot taken from Ministry of Home Affairs’s Youtube Channel)

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian inaugurated three new provinces in Papua, namely South Papua province, Central Papua province, and Papua Mountains province, Friday (11/11). The inauguration was held at the Office of Ministry of Home Affairs in Jakarta.

“Today, Friday, November 11, 2022, in Jakarta, I, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, Minister of Home Affairs, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, hereby inaugurate the Province of South Papua based on Law Number 14 of 2022, the Province of Central Papua based on Law Number 15 of 2022, and Papua Mountains Province based on Law Number 16 of 2022,” said Tito.

On the occasion, the Minister also appointed three acting governors for the provinces, namely Apolo Safanpo as Acting Governor of South Papua province, Rebekah Haluk as Acting Governor of Central Papua province, and Nikolaus Kondomo as Acting Governor of Papua Mountains province.

These three acting governors’ backgrounds are an academic and government officials.

Apolo Safanpo is the Chancellor of the University of Cenderawasih; Ribka Haluk is the Head of the Office of Social Affairs, Population, Women’s Empowerment, and Child Protection of Papua Provincial Government; while Nikolaus Kondomo is the Head of the Papua High Court.

The inauguration was carried out based on Decree of the President of the Republic of Indonesia (Keppres) Number 115/P of 2022 which was stipulated on November 10, 2022. As stated in the Presidential Decree, each acting governor serves for a maximum term of one year. (TGH/AIT/UN)