11th hour wooing of voters

Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesians worked hand-in-hand on Sunday to establish polling stations for Monday's historic presidential election despite reports of little funds received from the General Elections Commission (KPU).

To lure voters, a number of polling booths in Jember regency, East Java, offered door prizes, Antara reported.

Jember's KPU chairman Syakir Asari was quoted as saying the move was positive as long as it was not misused to influence voters to vote for certain candidates.

The election is expected to run smoothly and successfully as the National Police said they had not detected any sign of sabotage or violence aimed at trying to disrupt the poll.

In Denpasar, Bali, residents were busy working together in their respective areas to get their polling stations ready before Sunday evening.

Most of them turned community halls, school buildings, handicraft showrooms and hotel yards into polling stations.

"Although we don't have much money, our neighborhoods have contributed many materials such as bamboo, wood and cardboard to set up the stations," said Ketut, a resident of Dauh Puri Kaja in Denpasar.

Local committee members acknowledged they only received Rp 50,000 to Rp 100,000 to build one polling station, while in fact it cost up to Rp 300,000.

A similar initiative was also taken in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, where polling station committee members were helped by at least five residents in every station to prepare equipment, such as desks, chairs, tents and a sound system.

"All electoral logistical materials have reached every district in Bantul this (Sunday) morning. We hope they can be brought to the polling stations this afternoon," Bantul election committee head Arif Iskandar told Antara.

High enthusiasm was also shown by residents in Bengkulu province, who worked together to establish their polling stations.

Head of polling station No. 22 in Panorama district, Bengkulu, Hermansyah, said the preparations for Monday's election were better than the legislative election because the equipment arrived much earlier.

Palu election committee head Amran Bakir in Central Sulawesi, said every one of the 650 polling stations there had received equipment on Saturday.

All polling stations throughout the city were ready by Sunday afternoon, he added.

Residents of Keerom regency in Papua were also gearing up for the poll on Monday after election materials were distributed to polling stations on Sunday.

Keerom Regent Yusuf Wally said that he had to rent a Cessna plane to distribute poll equipment to remote areas throughout the regency.

He said his office provided Rp 200 million for the Keerom election committee and 100 million for the local election supervisory committee to enable the election to be held on Monday.

Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Paiman promised to ensure peaceful elections nationwide by beefing up security during and after the poll.

Some two-thirds of a total 274,000 police personnel are on standby, despite the absence of any signs of terrorist attacks, riots or other violence, he added.

"Three or four polling stations will be guarded by at least two police officers," said Paiman.

He said the police added personnel deployed in conflict areas, such as Aceh, Poso, Ambon and Papua in anticipation of possible clashes on Monday.

More than 150 million people are eligible to vote across the country, a vast archipelago of 17,000 islands.