Lack of voter education may cause ballot error: Analyst<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As most voters are unaware of the new electoral system, political
\nparties are likely to encourage supporters to punch the logo of
\npolitical parties on ballot papers instead of marking the names
\nof legislative candidates, a political analyst says.<\/p>\n
Consequently, this will lead to the election -- or reelection
\n-- of legislative candidates loyal to political parties rather
\nthan the election of candidates fighting for public interests,
\nsaid Arbi Sanit, a lecturer with the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I believe the Elections Law was designed to maintain the
\nstatus quo, so the performance of legislators will be the same,\"
\nhe said at a discussion here.<\/p>\n
Under the Elections Law, voters are to mark both party logos
\nand legislative candidates on the ballot papers, a system that
\nwas adopted to allow the public to select candidates they
\nconsidered to best represent their interests.<\/p>\n
Ballot papers will be declared invalid if voters mark only the
\nname of their chosen candidate.<\/p>\n
However, the law stipulates that ballot papers bearing a mark
\non the party logo alone, as in past elections, would be
\nconsidered valid.<\/p>\n
Article 107 of the General Elections Law says that candidates
\nare elected as legislators if they gain a certain number of
\nvotes. Priority will be given to those at the top of the
\ncandidates list if no candidate has collected adequate votes.<\/p>\n
As the list of legislative candidates is drawn up by political
\nparties, this will result in the winning parties represented by
\nlegislators from the top of their lists -- most likely those
\nloyal to party leaders and interests rather than public
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
This scenario may become real, as a survey conducted by the
\nCenter for Electoral Reform (Cetro) revealed that more than half
\nof the country's 145 million registered voters still do not know
\nhow to punch ballot papers properly.<\/p>\n
The survey showed that 43 percent of 2,995 people surveyed in
\nDecember punched party logos only, while 34 percent simply did
\nnot know where to punch. Only 23 percent marked their ballot
\npapers properly.<\/p>\n
Voters who were unaware of the voting procedures were mostly
\nthose from remote villages, the elderly, farmers, taxi drivers
\nand public transportation drivers.<\/p>\n
Most legislative candidates have tried to take advantage of
\nthe confusion among voters by encouraging them to mark party
\nlogos only.<\/p>\n
Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) chairman Djuhad
\nMahja acknowledged on Friday that the new system was confusing
\nand that his party would not risk the people's confusion.<\/p>\n
He added that PPP leaders had discussed the issue and most of
\nthem feared a possible decrease in the votes the PPP would garner
\nin the legislative election on April 5, 2004.<\/p>\n
\"If the people become confused, it will be better for them to
\npunch the party logo only,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rully Chairul Azwar, deputy secretary-general of the Golkar
\nParty, disagreed, saying that all parties must provide the public
\nwith information on the proper voting procedure.<\/p>\n
He said proper voter education was one thing, and the validity
\nof the ballot papers was another.<\/p>\n
\"I reject the campaign of urging voters to punch only the
\nparty logo during the election. It is a kind of misinformation,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Voters will be choosing from among 24 political parties in the
\nlegislative election. Parties or coalitions of parties that gain
\n3 percent of seats in the House of Representatives or 5 percent
\nof total votes would be allowed to contest in the first direct
\npresidential election scheduled for July 5.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lack-of-voter-education-may-cause-ballot-error-analyst-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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