People refuse to pay polling booth funds<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Residents in a number of subdistricts yesterday
\nexpressed objections to the imposition of payments to make
\npolling booths for voting day tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Andrie, a father of three, said he and his neighbors in Kawi-
\nKawi, Johar Baru subdistrict in Central Jakarta have been asked
\nto pay between Rp 5,000 (US$2) to Rp 10,000 to set up polling
\nbooths in the area.<\/p>\n
\"It's ridiculous, because I don't think it's our
\nresponsibility to pay money to make polling booths,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Central Election Committee provides Rp 16,000 -- Rp 14,000
\nfor the polling station and Rp 2,000 for the padding to puncture
\nparty symbols -- and the city provides Rp 25,000 for each polling
\nstation.<\/p>\n
There will be 12,482 polling booths in the city with 7,453,416
\nvoters, including those voting overseas. Each booth will
\ntherefore serve about 600 voters.<\/p>\n
The booths will be scattered across the city with Central
\nJakarta having 1,855, North Jakarta 1,848, West Jakarta 2,737,
\nSouth Jakarta 2,739 and West Jakarta 3,303, plus mobile booths
\nfor hospitals and prisons.<\/p>\n
Zaiman Ahmad, a leader of a neighborhood on Jl. Gotong Royong,
\nPondok Bambu, East Jakarta, said many residents refused to
\ncontribute funds to build a polling booth in the area.<\/p>\n
\"The residents said funds for a polling booth should come from
\nthe government,\" Zaiman said.<\/p>\n
Gozali, an ojek motorcycle taxi driver in Mampang Prapatan,
\nSouth Jakarta, said he always hides in his house whenever his
\nneighborhood leader comes to collect funds.<\/p>\n
\"I hide because that's too much money for me,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Zaiman said he had spent Rp 60,000 for 10 sheets of plywood
\nfor the polling booth.<\/p>\n
He said a worker who would build the polling booth was usually
\npaid Rp 15,000 a day. He needed at least three workers.<\/p>\n
He said that he proposed to raise money through donations but
\nhe was rejected by an election committee chairman in the
\nneighborhood.<\/p>\n
\"So I just took a personal approach to those who would like to
\ndonate voluntarily,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Residents told The Jakarta Post that the imposed payment was
\nburdensome for them and preferred to spend that amount of money
\non basic necessities.<\/p>\n
\"That's equal to my daily wage. My family would starve if I
\npaid it,\" said Rudi Machmud, a plumber on Jl. Bluntas, in
\nPaseban, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said his neighbors had also refused to donate when a
\ndonation list was circulated among them.<\/p>\n
Some neighborhood leaders are considerate enough not to ask
\nthe poor.<\/p>\n
Demoro, a neighborhood leader, said he understood the problems
\nfaced by his people, but he was forced to procure funds given the
\nlimited budget provided by the subdistrict leader.<\/p>\n
He said he only got Rp 25,000, and that was the price of a
\nsheet of plywood and two wood beams.<\/p>\n
\"We still need more, so we can buy canvas for the roof and
\nrent chairs,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Demoro, he was not the only one who faced a
\nshortage of funds. Neighborhood leaders from the Paseban
\nsubdistrict will meet Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi today to
\ndiscuss the matter, he said.<\/p>\n
\"With this problem, how can I make Thursday's voting in my
\narea a success, as had been told by my superiors?\" asked Demoro
\nwho heads a neighborhood of 50 families.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Bogor, an official of the regional election
\ncommittee said that his office had not imposed any financial
\nburdens on residents for polling booth construction.<\/p>\n
\"We will tap the regional state budget when allocated funds
\nfrom the government are not enough,\" said A.R. Siregar, secretary
\nof the regional election committee. (03\/jun\/ste\/24)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/people-refuse-to-pay-polling-booth-funds-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}