Voter registration will not run smoothly in conflict areas<\/p>\n
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) is planning for
\nflexibility in the time frame of the national census and the
\nvoter registration process in conflict-torn areas, an official
\nsays.<\/p>\n
Agus Suherman, chief of the national census and the voter
\nregistration process at BPS, said that in the province of Aceh,
\nfor example, the event could turn political as many people might
\nrefuse to participate, slowing down the process.<\/p>\n
\"We are well aware that people may be reluctant to participate
\nin the demographic data gathering, as they might be afraid of the
\npossible consequences. This has occurred in the past, when people
\nin Maluku and Papua refused to register.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, we have agreed with the General Elections
\nCommission (KPU) to review the time frame of the census and the
\nvoter registration process,\" he told The Jakarta Post on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Agus added that BPS would try and persuade citizens in the
\nconflict areas of Aceh, Papua, Maluku and Poso in Central
\nSulawesi to take part in the registration.<\/p>\n
The bureau also plans to ask for assistance from the office of
\nthe Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs to
\nensure the safety of each and every BPS field worker as they
\nfulfill their duties in the conflict areas.<\/p>\n
\"In Aceh, we will also request the assistance of the Joint
\nSecurity Council,\" he said.<\/p>\n
BPS, representing the KPU, is in charge of conducting the
\nnational census and voter registration process within this month.<\/p>\n
The compiled data from the census and the registration will be
\nused by the KPU as a single database for the 2004 elections.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will have its first direct legislative election on
\nApril 5, 2004, followed by the direct presidential election,
\nwhich looks to take place over two stages as no party is likely
\nto win an outright majority of votes. The government has proposed
\nthat the first stage of the presidential election be held on July
\n5.<\/p>\n
Approximately 230,000 field officials are conducting the
\ncensus and registration across the country. An estimated 130
\nmillion people are expected to turn up for the elections.<\/p>\n
According to BPS data, the number of voters in Aceh has
\nreached 1.73 million, or 40 percent of the total population,
\nwhile Papua has 1.69 million voters, Maluku 1.14 million and
\nCentral Sulawesi 2.01 million.<\/p>\n
Agus also said that the bureau expected to find several
\nobstacles in conducting the census and registration in the
\nregency of Belu, East Nusa Tenggara, which had suffered from
\nfloods and landslides that had claimed 52 lives thus far.<\/p>\n
\"We have not started the voter registration process in East
\nNusa Tenggara, especially in the areas hit by natural disasters.
\nWe realize that the census and the registration are not on their
\nlist of priorities at the moment. We will give them more time (to
\nrecover) before commencing with our tasks,\" he said.<\/p>",
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