Voters still waiting for registration forms<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Slow delivery of voter registration forms
\ncontinue to set back the registration process, reported Director
\nGeneral of Public Administration and Regional Autonomy Ryass
\nRasyid at a meeting of provincial elections committees on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
\"Some packages, when opened, only contain a few dozen forms
\nwhen they should contain hundreds,\" Syahrir, the chairman of the
\nWest Java committee, said.<\/p>\n
Areas in Sulawesi also reported similar slowness. The General
\nElections Commission (KPU) has extended the voter registration
\nperiod to May 15, citing a range of difficulties, including
\nsecurity disturbances.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Aceh provincial committee Farhan Hamid, said
\nup to Tuesday 48.41 percent of the total 2,315,244 eligible
\nvoters in Aceh had registered.<\/p>\n
In areas hit by military action 18.07 percent were registered
\nin North Aceh, 12.22 percent in Pidie and 46.75 percent in East
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
\"East Aceh has a higher percentage because it is located near
\nthe border of Medan, so they are not too affected by unrest or
\nother pressure,\" Farhan said.<\/p>\n
Antara reported from Irian Jaya that as of Wednesday regency
\nelection committees in Paniani and Puncak Jaya were yet to submit
\nlists of eligible voters.<\/p>\n
The news agency quoted officials at the provincial elections
\ncommittee in Jayapura as blaming the lack of transportation and
\ncommunications devices for the tardy registration process.<\/p>\n
Paniani has set up 98 subdistrict polling committees which
\nhave listed 47,570 people qualified to vote, while Puncak Jaya
\nhas formed 102 subdistrict polling committees, with 32,831 people
\neligible to vote.<\/p>\n
Jayawijaya is another regency which performed poorly, with
\nonly 11.73 percent of 257,292 eligible voters registered with
\nsubdistrict polling committees across the town.<\/p>\n
Biak Numfor regency fared the best, registering 75.26 percent
\nof 60,678 eligible voters.<\/p>\n
Altogether, less than 50 percent of 1,229,223 eligible voters
\nhave signed up for the polls in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
In a related development, KPU chairman Rudini said on
\nWednesday tens of thousands of refugees would only be able to
\nvote for legislators at the national level.<\/p>\n
Refugees have fled home towns in Maluku province and West
\nKalimantan, where hundreds have been killed in ethnic and
\nreligious clashes.<\/p>\n
\"This is because they are not located in their own provinces,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the commission also decided that the
\nregistration period in Maluku would be extended to May 21, given
\nthe conditions there.<\/p>\n
Maluku committee chairman Lutfi Sanaky told Antara in Ambon
\nthat only 48.2 percent of 1.2 million eligible voters had
\nregistered.<\/p>\n
Campaign schedules for West, Central and East Java and Bali
\nhave yet to be arranged.<\/p>\n
\"In Central Java, the campaign schedule will be set by the
\nregional elections committee, as they are the ones who know the
\nareas and areas prone to unrest,\" chairman of Central Java's
\ncommittee Hadi Pranoto said.<\/p>\n
Hadi cited several regencies which had set campaign schedules,
\nsuch as Rembang, Jepara, Tegal, Cilacap, Kebumuen, Wonogiri and
\nKarang Anyar.<\/p>\n
Campaigning will be taken in turn by the 48 parties and
\nsecurity forces are taking extra measures to prevent clashes, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
An executive of the Bali elections committee, HS Abdul Wahab,
\nexpressed confidence campaigns in Bali would be safe. (edt\/amd)<\/p>",
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