23,000 volunteers to be recruited to poll monitoring<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 23,000 volunteers will be recruited to
\nmonitor the June 7 general election in the city and surrounding
\nareas, an executive at the Independent Election Monitoring
\nCommittee (KIPP) said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Mulyana W. Kusumah, KIPP's secretary-general, said the
\nvolunteers would be deployed to monitor the election at polling
\nbooths in Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.<\/p>\n
\"We will start monitoring activities on April 4, when people
\nbegin to register at election committee posts,\" he said after
\ninaugurating the board members of KIPP's chapters in the city's
\nfive mayoralties, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.<\/p>\n
He said monitoring activities would start with the
\nregistration period because there were still many people who
\nbelieved voters needed their identification cards (ID) to
\nregister.<\/p>\n
He reiterated that voters could use their driver's license,
\nmarriage certificates and other forms of ID to register.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the chairman of KIPP's Greater Jakarta chapter,
\nYopie Rayaan, said the recruitment of the 23,000 volunteers had
\nbeen hindered by a lack of funds.<\/p>\n
\"Although reports said the United Nations Development Program
\n(UNDP) had allotted funding for monitoring activities, we have
\nnot received a penny of it.\"<\/p>\n
The committee sent a proposal to UNDP for funding, he said,
\nadding the recruitment would cost at least Rp 460 million
\n(US$51,111).<\/p>\n
He said poll monitors would receive Rp 20,000 each for
\ntransportation and meal allowance on June 7.<\/p>\n
\"However, we are confident we can get the needed funds to be
\nable to recruit the volunteers.\"<\/p>\n
The committee has received funds from the United States-based
\nnon-governmental organization USAID to finance its preliminary
\nactivities, he said.<\/p>\n
He said the funds partly were being used to train 1,000 poll
\nmonitors in Jakarta and surrounding areas, adding that about
\n1,500 additional volunteers would be trained next month.<\/p>\n
Yopie said the 2,500 people, including students, employees at
\nprivate companies and housewives, were expected to help train
\nadditional volunteers in their respective areas, adding they also
\nwere expected to educate people about the election.<\/p>\n
\"So we do not just watch activities at the polling booths and
\ncalculate the ballots.\"<\/p>\n
Mulyana expressed confidence there would not be many
\nviolations in the implementation of the poll in the city and
\nsurrounding areas because the media also would directly watch the
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
He said the committee would immediately raise objections if it
\ndiscovered violations during the election process.<\/p>\n
UNDP earlier said it had collected more than $40 million from
\nseven countries to help fund poll monitoring activities. The
\ncountries are: Australia, Finland, Japan, New Zealand, the United
\nKingdom, Norway and Sweden.<\/p>\n
At least 50 proposals have been submitted to the UNDP by non-
\ngovernmental organizations requesting funds.<\/p>\n
Among those requesting funds are the three main independent
\nelection monitoring organizations: the University Network for
\nFree and Fair Elections, KIPP and the Rectors Forum. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/23000-volunteers-to-be-recruited-to-poll-monitoring-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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