Soldiers distribute ballot boxes in Aceh<\/p>\n
By Budiman Moerdijat and Noer Faisal<\/p>\n
LHOKSEUMAWE, North Aceh (JP): Heavily armed troops distributed
\nballot boxes on Sunday to villages here in the final preparations
\nfor the polls, amid rumors that fresh violence would break out in
\nthe troubled province.<\/p>\n
At least 150 army troops in three military trucks were seen
\nescorting another truck carrying hundreds of ballot boxes to the
\nvillages, including Krueng Geukueh village, some 15 kilometers
\nwest of here, where at least 41 civilian protesters were shot
\ndead by the military during a protest on May 3.<\/p>\n
The convoy was seen dropping three ballot boxes in every
\npolice subprecinct.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, after a five-hour meeting,the General Elections
\nCommission on Saturday had decided that elections would take
\nplace as scheduled in Aceh. The government had indicated a
\npossibility of delay in the volatile regencies of Pide, East Aceh
\nand North Aceh. The election law allows a 30-day delay of the
\npoll. However KPU chairman Rudini said if anything hampered the
\nvote casting the local election committees could immediately
\ncontact the hotline of the National Election Committee.<\/p>\n
Head of Aceh elections committee Ahmad Farhan Hamid told The
\nJakarta Post by phone from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh,
\nsome 250 kilometers west of here, that the elections will only be
\nheld in 10 of the 26 districts in North Aceh because of security
\nconcerns.<\/p>\n
Ahmad did not mention the names of the districts, but admitted
\nelections in those places could still be canceled at the last
\nmoment.<\/p>\n
\"We still need to assess the security on the ground and our
\npriority is the safety of the residents,\" Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
Violence has been on the rise in Pidie, North Aceh and East
\nAceh, where groups of unidentified people have been attacking
\nsecurity personnel and setting schools, political party offices
\nand government buildings on fire in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
At least three intercity buses were also set on fire in Pidie
\nearly on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"It is still not clear whether the elections will be held in
\nPidie, but members of the local elections committee have said
\nthey will try to hold the elections there,\" Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, members of the local elections committee
\nheld a rehearsal for the elections at the regent's office here.<\/p>\n
The city streets were deserted on Sunday and only a few shops
\nwere seen open for business.<\/p>\n
Locals said that shop owners and migrants have fled to the
\nNorth Sumatra capital of Medan in the last few days.<\/p>\n
\"My wife and children left for Medan a few days ago as the
\nsecurity here is questionable,\" head of Lhokseumawe General
\nHospital Mulya A. Hasjmy told the Post.<\/p>\n
Later in the afternoon, some workers were seen setting up five
\npolling booths at General Soedirman square, which is directly in
\nfront of the local military headquarters.<\/p>\n
This polling station was the only one so far seen in the city.<\/p>\n
Calls for a referendum on self-determination and an election
\nboycott have been mounting in Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh,
\nand have grown stronger since the shootings in Krueng Geukueh.<\/p>\n
In the early hours of Saturday, an unidentified group of
\npeople set fire to 11 elementary schools in different villages in
\nNorth Aceh.<\/p>\n
According to Alibasyah Budiman, head of North Aceh district's
\neducation and culture office, the group started to burn the
\nschools at 4 a.m.<\/p>\n
Eight of the school buildings were located in the villages of
\nAlue Ie Mirah, Paya Tukai, Cot Badah, Lhok Reudeup, Lueng Tala,
\nBuket Jeurat Mayang, Matang Sirong and Ulee Glee of Jambo Aye
\nsubdistrict, Antara reported<\/p>\n
Two others were in Tanah Luas subdistrict, and one other
\nschool in Baktia subdistrict.<\/p>\n
The incidents brought the total number of school buildings
\nburned in North Aceh district recently to 19, Budiman said.<\/p>\n
There has so far been no official report on the total
\nfinancial losses caused by the fires, but unofficial estimates
\nput the figure at more than Rp 1 billion (US$114,000).<\/p>\n
Separately, a police officer and three civilians were
\nseriously wounded on Saturday by a group armed with guns during
\nattacks at two different police offices in Pidie on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The precinct chief, Lt. Col. Sirwandi Laut Tawar, said the
\ngroup, driven in two cars, first stormed the Tringgading police
\nsubprecinct by at 4 p.m., wounding Pvt. Lakon.<\/p>\n
About two hours later, the same cars were seen in front of the
\nPidie police precinct office, and shots were fired at the police
\nstation.<\/p>\n
From Banda Aceh, Antara quoted a coordinator of a poll watch
\nnetwork here, the Rector's Forum, as saying that the situation
\nwas not conducive to hold the poll in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"The impression is that the election is being imposed here and
\nthis is not democratic,\" Iqbal said Sunday.<\/p>\n
The agency reported the resignation of 350 out of 2,380
\nvolunteers of another chapter of a national private poll watch
\nbody, the University Network of Free and Fair Elections (Unfrel).<\/p>\n
Local coordinator M. Noor Fakhrurazi said this was because of
\nthe increasing tense condition in the province.<\/p>\n
Unfrel national coordinator Todung Mulya Lubis told The
\nJakarta Post Sunday that the remainder of Unfrel poll watchers
\nwould have to hide their identity cards given continued
\nintimidation and suspicion against them.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soldiers-distribute-ballot-boxes-in-aceh-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}