Disgruntled guards seize ballot boxes in Jayapura<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post\/Jayapura<\/p>\n
About 120 polling station guards in Jayapura, Papua, have seized
\nthree ballot boxes to protest what they claim is the authorities'
\nfailure to pay them for their work in Monday's presidential
\nelection.<\/p>\n
The protesters also set fire to their official hats during a
\ndemonstration at the office of South Jayapura district head Evert
\nMeraudje on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Meraudje and Jayapura General Elections Commission chairman La
\nPona later sat down with the guards to discuss their grievances.<\/p>\n
The guards claim they were not paid the Rp 40,000 (US$4.40)
\nthey were promised for providing security during the election.<\/p>\n
Pona said the money to pay the security guards had been
\ndelivered to polling station committees in the district, and did
\nnot know why the guards had not received their pay.<\/p>\n
He said his office would pay the 120 security guards
\nimmediately, and would also launch an investigation into why the
\ndisbursed funds were not received by the guards.<\/p>\n
\"We will soon disburse Rp 4.8 million to pay the fees of the
\nguards, and will look into why the previously disbursed money was
\nnot received by them. If there are any irregularities, we will
\nprocess them according to the law,\" Pona said.<\/p>\n
The protesters promised to return the three seized ballot
\nboxes after receiving assurances from the local General Elections
\nCommission chief that they would receive their pay.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/disgruntled-guards-seize-ballot-boxes-in-jayapura-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}