Poll violations mar election<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Various incidents have made the 2004 general election, the first
\ndirect election ever in Indonesian history, more colorful than
\nprevious elections.<\/p>\n
In some places, administrative hiccups disrupted the election
\nand caused confusion among people, while in other places,
\nelection violations still took place as people continued to
\nresort to whatever means available to win the election.<\/p>\n
Sadly, like the campaign period last month, the election
\nfiesta on Monday also claimed fatalities.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, the capital of West Java province, a mother of a
\nlegislative candidate here allegedly violated elections
\nregulations, prompting a poll volunteer to report it to the poll
\norganizer, the Bandung General Elections Commission (KPU).<\/p>\n
The incident began when Yuliasari, the mother of Mohammad Yuda
\nPrawira, a legislative candidate from the Democratic Party,
\ndistributed around 30 free candies to voters about to cast votes
\nat a polling station in Cingised subdistrict in Arcamanik
\ndistrict, Bandung.<\/p>\n
It turned out to be a serious problem when a volunteer at the
\nBandung Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) noticed that
\nthe candies bore the Democratic Party logo.<\/p>\n
Yuliasari told reporters innocently: \"I was only distributing
\nthe left over candies I got from the campaign.\"<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, several legislative candidates in three
\nseparate regencies here resorted to vote buying just hours before
\nthe poll was held on Monday.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Wafiek, a member of the Yogyakarta Election
\nSupervisory Committee (Panwaslu), said that the candidates were
\nfrom the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Concern for the
\nNation Functional Party (PKPB) and Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
Wafiek said that Panwaslu would report it to the Yogyakarta
\nGeneral Elections Commission (KPUD) for further investigation. If
\nthe candidates were proven guilty, they could face a maximum 12
\nmonths in prison.<\/p>\n
In Maluku province, local residents and poll observers
\nrevealed on Monday that supporters of the United Development
\nParty (PPP) had intimidated migrants and refugees who had settled
\nin Tulehu subdistrict, Central Maluku regency.<\/p>\n
\"They were afraid that they would be expelled from the
\nsubdistrict if they refused to vote for PPP,\" said Sutan Marsida
\nfrom the Voter Education Network for the People (JPRR).<\/p>\n
But, the secretary of PPP's Central Maluku branch, Mat
\nUmarella, denied the charge, saying that his party cadres had not
\nintimidated the refugees or migrants.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, dozens of party officials in Toli-Toli regency,
\nCentral Sulawesi, staged a protest on Monday in front of the
\nCentral Sulawesi General Elections Commission (KPUD) after they
\nfound that many ballot papers in the regency had already been
\nperforated. They demanded the election here be repeated.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, the capital of East Java province, two children
\nChris Wilson and Ganjar received voter cards, but they were not
\nallowed to vote by committee members as they were under age,
\nAntara news agency reported. Only people over 17 years of age can
\nvote.<\/p>\n
Also in Surabaya, the election was disrupted after ballot
\npapers in Krembangan and Jambangan areas were accidentally
\ninterchanged, All ballot papers that were supposed to be used in
\nJambangan were sent to Krembangan and vice versa. Some people had
\nalready voted, prompting committee members in both areas to
\nrepeat the election. A similar incident also happened in Bengkulu
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
Lastly, four people died in Surabaya during the poll on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
One of them, Bambang Setyobudi, died after he had a heart
\nattack while he punched the ballot paper in Tegalsari area here.<\/p>\n
The other three people, who were all election committee
\nmembers, died in traffic accidents.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poll-violations-mar-election-1447893297",
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