REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, RAJAAMPAT -- President Joko Widodo attended "a people's party" to celebrate New Year's Eve in the Rajaampat district of West Papua province on Thursday evening.
The event was held at the Waisai beach and highlighted by top singers, such as Edo Kondologit, who is originally from Papua.
The President was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, who arrived at the location at around 22:20 pm East Indonesia Time.
President Widodo wore a white shirt and shook hands with a number of people, who attended the event upon arrival.
The President's Chief of Staff, Teten Masduki, the President's communication team member, Sukardi Rinakit and West Papua Governor, Abraham Octavianus Atururi also attended the event.
A number of people expressed their happiness at seeing President Widodo in Rajaampat.
"There is attention from the head of state to the Indonesian eastern region," Winda, who specially came from Manokwari to the location to celebrate New Year's Eve, said.
She hoped conditions in 2016 would be better than in 2015.
President Widodo and First Lady Iriana arrived at the Mopah airport in Merauke, Papua on Tuesday evening to visit Indonesia's eastern provinces of Papua and West Papua.
The President and his entourage, including the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimoeljono, the President's Chief of Staff, Teten Masduki, and President's communication team member, Sukardi Rinakit, left Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusumah airport at 13:40 pm and arrived at Merauke airport at 20:20 pm aboard the presidential plane.
After attending the "Indonesia's Dreams for 2015-2085" event at the Hasanap Sai field in Merauke, the President and his entourage traveled to Wamena by plane, where he dedicated new terminals at Wamena and Kaimana and met with the people of Jayawijaya.
He then proceeded to Sorong and then Raja Ampat.
This was the President's third visit to Papua and West Papua, following his first visit to the eastern provinces on December 27 to 29, 2014 and the second visit on May 8 to 11, 2015.
President Jokowi, as he is also called, has said he believed that by frequently visiting the region, conflicts in Papua would be settled.
"I will visit Papua often," he said at the Waringin Sports Stadium in Jayapura on December 27, 2014.
Before visiting Papua, the President had also visited several other provinces, including South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara, to inspect infrastructure development in these regions.
The visits are evidence that Indonesia is now leaving a Java-centered orientation and turning to an Indonesia-centered vision, as President Jokowi had also remarked on Heroes' Day in Surabaya on November 10.
"Indonesia is moving towards an Indonesia-centered and not Java-centered vision. Prosperity will take place, but not only in Java," he had said at the time.
President Widodo and his entourage are scheduled to return to Jakarta on Friday, January 1, 2016.
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