Analyzing Challenges of Noken System for Democratic Country: The Impacts of Regional Elections in 2018 towards Regional Development in Papua

The use of the noken system in regional elections in Papua creates its own dynamics and challenges for regional development. This system recognizes the political rights of indigenous peoples, but it makes it difficult to achieve fair and equal development. This study looks at these problems, especially in Central Papua Province and Papua Mountains after the area was divided. This research uses a qualitative approach and descriptive analysis to identify the structural and multidimensional problems that cause the low Human Development Index (HDI) and high poverty rates in both provinces. The Noken system is usually considered legitimate, but using it can cause social conflicts, lack of accountability, and transparency in development. These findings suggest that the reasons for Papua's development problems are deep-rooted and require complete solutions, no matter what the electoral system is.