<![CDATA[Papua faces complex challenges in the implementation of the 2024 simultaneous elections, following the establishment of New Autonomous Regions (DOB) based on customary territories. Constitutional Court Decision No. 135/PUU-XXII/2024 has sparked debate over the possibility of shifting from direct elections to indirect elections in response to security dynamics in Papua. This qualitative descriptive study examines legitimacy and popular sovereignty through a comparative analysis of direct and indirect electoral systems as risk mitigation strategies in Papua. Empirical data were analyzed through literature reviews and interviews concerning horizontal conflict, casualties, infrastructure destruction, and the high financial burden of previous elections. The findings indicate that direct elections within Papua’s vulnerable social structure carry a high risk of generating immeasurable social costs and regional instability. In contrast, an indirect electoral system integrated with Papua’s mechanisms of cultural representation, and grounded in consociational democracy theory may help reduce conflict and improve budget efficiency without undermining popular sovereignty. This study concludes that an indirect election model may provide a viable approach to strengthening representation while maintaining sociocultural stability in conflict-prone regions.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
