Indonesia does implement a democratic system in every election, but in West Papua, there is a system that is used to ensure that the sons of the region become leaders in this region. Self-esteem and increasing local wisdom are the values of this system called Noken.
When it comes to Indonesia, discussing the cultural uniqueness possessed by eastern people is interesting because they look special. The different races and cultures between regions in Indonesia have succeeded in making the race and gene of the Papuan very interesting.
But it is also this uniqueness that they always guard, starting from the economic, social, cultural, to political systems, which is still one thing that is always associated with race. So that the general election system used in some cases is still very conservative.
In western Papua, they use a voting system for general elections which they use to determine who deserves to be a leader. But unlike most systems, this system tends to be special and different from most electoral systems that still be used in many parts of the world.
What is the Noken System and why is it related to the West Papua’s Native?
So what exactly is this electoral system and why is it linked with the native of Papuan? So this is a traditional voting system that has been used for a long time by the people. This is a supporting tool like a woven traditional woven bag.
This system is something very special for the people of Papua because they will use it as a way of making native leaders. Starting from village heads, mayors or regents, up to the class of governors, some use this system.
In this system, there will be several things that must be considered before determining who deserves to be a leader. Initially, all will receive any important information about the candidate so that they will know who the competent local West Papua son is.
After that, the community will hold meetings and discussions in public spaces while discussing their background, occupation, habits, education level, and other information they got. From this information will emerge debate after debate among supporters of the candidate.
Numbers of discussions would be held so that they are more confident with the candidates to be chosen. And after this, the noken system will emerge as the decision-maker by assessing for himself who is the most worthy, and direct voting will be held.
Whoever dominates is the winner according to the Noken system and what is related to the Papuan people is that not all areas are easily accessible. This system doesn’t need a ballot box or anything like that, but local people also have political rights to vote.
Community Views Regarding the Noken System in West Papua
Then, there has been some debate about this electoral system and it has received greater attention from the government. The fact Because more people want a closed voting system, it is clear that this is very different from the steps taken by the noken system.
Voting must be based on personal judgment, not the whole discussion community because if so, it clearly violates the principles of the democratic system. Everyone’s perspective is different and since this is happening in the Papua region, there are pros and cons too.
The pros here can be seen because it is more often carried out in areas that are difficult to reach, the sons of the region can still participate in political parties even with limited resources. Also, this is a West Papua local identity in the country’s political system.
While on the negative side, the principle of “One Man, One Vote” clearly does not apply because when they want to express their opinion against one of the candidates, they have to have a debate. And when decision making is also not closed so lack of legitimacy.
As fellow citizens, of course, respect for their culture, must be done. This is a kind of customary law, which is a law and policy that is adapted to the conditions that exist in society and usually, this law is not written down.
Some Facts about the Noken System in West Papua
From here, so that the understanding of the noken system and its relation to the indigenous Papuan people can be better understood, we will present some facts behind it so that it can still gain the trust of the local community as the most effective, among others;
- It is a deliberative democratic system
This system still has something to do with democracy, but not as is usually practiced in Indonesia. This deliberative democratic system is simply a method of combining perspectives to reach political decisions.
- There are no written rules
This voting model does not exist in the law, but the community already considers this as something that is passed down from generation to generation. From one regional son to another so that it is a West Papua cultural heritage.
- Discussion Also Concerning Relatives
During the discussion, it is not only about the candidate that is discussed, but the relative field is also a reputation that must be maintained well by the candidate if he wants to be elected. So this situation makes a broad discussion.
The political system in Indonesia still relies on democracy, but it turns out that there are many versions of democracy itself. Including those used in West Papua to protect the political rights of local sons.
