The front-runner in the Indonesian presidential elections has pledged to enforce the special autonomy status in West Papua province, if he gets elected.
The Democratic party candidate, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised to speed up the creation of a local lawmaking group, the Papuan People's Assembly.
He says he'll also revise all laws that would split the province into three regions.
The planned division of the province has been unpopular and caused demonstrations, which have been violently suppressed by Indonesian armed forces.
West Papua's special autonomy, granted three years ago, gave the province's administration more power over its own affairs and more revenue from lucrative multinational projects in the area.
However, under President Megawati Soekarnoputri's government, implementation of the special autonomy stalled and a new law was introduced to divide the province.
