Election day fell on good day in Bali<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post\/Denpasar<\/p>\n
The police officer took out his pager and showed the last message
\ndisplayed on the beeper's green LCD screen. Red Jimny Katana D
\n183 KH, heading toward Nusa Dua, the message read.<\/p>\n
\"We have been looking for that vehicle ever since. Until now
\nwe have not been able to locate it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
It was said that the particular vehicle, a red jeep with
\nBandung (West Java) license plates, was carrying a significant
\namount of explosive materials that may be used to stage a car-
\nbomb attack in an effort to disrupt the presidential election on
\nthe island.<\/p>\n
\"Information on the vehicle was first received on Saturday
\nevening, two days before the election runoff. We have been on top
\nalert ever since,\" he acknowledged.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, he also acknowledged that there was a great
\npossibility that the tip was nothing but a hoax, particularly
\ngiven the fact that a state-of-the-art bomb detector -- the
\nisland's police have four such sophisticated instruments -- had
\nbeen utilized to scan every incoming vehicle on the island's
\nwestern tip, at the Gilimanuk harbor ferry, the most likely point
\nof entry for the vehicle.<\/p>\n
\"However, we don't want to take any chances. That's the reason
\nwhy we deployed a large number of uniformed and plainclothes
\nofficers to track the vehicle,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His attitude reflected the general sentiment that prevails
\namong the island's security apparatus, who, after the terrorist
\nattack in October 2002, take the issue of security on the island
\nas their personal responsibility.<\/p>\n
The attack involved a powerful car bomb and killed at least
\n202 people, mostly foreigners.<\/p>\n
Naturally, security during the election runoff on Sept. 20 was
\nvery tight with a heavy presence of fully-armed, uniformed
\nsecurity personnel at various strategic places in Denpasar and
\nmajor tourist areas, such as Kuta and Nusa Dua.<\/p>\n
\"We are all out in full force today, Police and the Army, \" an
\nArmy intelligence officer said.<\/p>\n
The charismatic Bali Police chief Maj. Gen. Made Mangku
\nPastika left his office early in the morning for the city of
\nTabanan while his deputy Brig. Gen. Teguh Sudarsono sped up north
\nto the coastal city of Singaraja. Both cities are volatile areas,
\nknown for numerous politically-motivated violent clashes.<\/p>\n
\"The general (Mangku Pastika) refused to use the police
\nhelicopter, believing that by staying on the ground he would be
\nable to direct his subordinates more effectively if something bad
\ntaken place,\" a police officer told.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the runoff went smoothly. A minor incident,
\ninvolving drunken Megawati supporters burning car tires in
\nDalung, was swiftly dealt with by a truckload of riot police. Two
\nperpetrators with a prolonged \"hangover\" were detained inside the
\nDenpasar Police detention center.<\/p>\n
The red jeep was nowhere in sight.<\/p>\n
\"Well, tracking a possible terrorist is surely a much better
\nand nobler way of spending the night than playing cards with
\nfellow officers,\" a police intelligence officer said.<\/p>\n
\"Absolutely, particularly when you are the worst card player
\nin the whole Division Six (intelligence),\" another officer joked.<\/p>\n
Rumors of a possible terrorist attack was not the only thing
\nthat marred the runoff. The second thing was the low voter
\nturnout.<\/p>\n
For instance, in five polling stations in Pemecutan Kaja
\nvillage, the percentage of voters who failed to show up ranged
\nfrom 14 to 33 percent. Likewise in Sumerta village, the average
\npercentage of \"no show\" voters at 20 polling stations reached 31
\npercent.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the total number of \"no show\" voters in Badung
\nregency reached 65,000.<\/p>\n
Previously, the chairman of Bali's General Elections
\nCommission (KPU) AA Oka Wisnumurti had expressed concern over the
\nlow voter turnout, claiming that it did not necessarily reflect
\nthe people's lack of enthusiasm in the country's political life.<\/p>\n
\"It is an unfortunate coincidence that election day, Sept. 20,
\nfalls on a day that is an auspicious day for Balinese Hindus,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The election day fell on Kajeng Kliwon or Soma Kliwon Krulut,
\na very auspicious day according to the Balinese calendar. The day
\nis deemed to be a dewasa ayu (good day) to hold various
\nreligious rituals in connection with both Dewa Yadnya (sacred
\noffering to Gods) and Bhuta Yadnya (sacred offering to the
\nnatural forces).<\/p>\n
\"We have received information that many villages in Bali will
\nhold huge temple rituals on that day. We are afraid that these
\nrituals might influence the number of voters who will show up at
\npolling stations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In the first-round of the presidential election the percentage
\nof voters who did not show up at the polling stations, reached
\nonly 18.6 percent of a total 2,526,075 registered voters.<\/p>\n
\"There is a possibility that the percentage will reach 19
\npercent this time. However, I don't think that it will go beyond
\n20 percent out of a total of 2,530,260 registered voters,\" deputy
\nchairman of Bali's KPU IGP Artha told.<\/p>\n
As of Wednesday afternoon, the KPU had tabulated 85 percent of
\nthe total ballots. So far, Megawati Soekarnoputri led the race
\nwith 1,250,037 votes while Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)
\ngarnered 756, 241 votes.<\/p>\n
In the first round of the presidential election Megawati
\nreceived 1,115,788 votes, while SBY gained 654,127 votes.<\/p>",
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