2.65 million Jakarta voters register for general election

JAKARTA (JP): The city has recorded 2.65 million people registrants, or about 46 percent of total eligible voters, as of Monday afternoon, chairman of the Jakarta Provincial Elections Committee (PPD I) Djafar Badjeber said.

The number of registered voters for the June 7 general election was expected to increase by midnight on Monday, the final day of the eight-day voluntary registration period.

Djafar said he was satisfied with Monday afternoon's figure of 2,659,467 registrants.

"It's very good to have more than two million registrants within a week," he told The Jakarta Post.

"I think the figure already surpasses the number of registrants within the same period during the 1997 polls."

Based on data released by PPD I in the afternoon, East Jakarta had recorded 667,350 registrants or 43 percent of total eligible voters in the area; West Jakarta 468,020 or 38 percent; South Jakarta 731,769 or 51.83 percent; North Jakarta 442,509 or 49 percent and Central Jakarta 349,819 or 41 percent.

From official estimates of 9.7 million city residents, 5.8 million of them are eligible voters. In the 1997 elections, Jakarta had 7,453,416 voters.

Djafar expressed optimism that the number of registrants in the capital would grow to more than 90 percent before the registration period finished on May 4.

He said that beginning on Tuesday, local registration officials, (Gastarlih), would visit eligible voters. The targeted group would not only include invalids, ailing and elderly citizens and prisoners but also other residents who have yet to register.

According to the General Elections Commission (KPU), the registration period began on April 5 through to April 12. From April 13 to April 18, the Gastarlih will visit individuals in remote areas and those unable to register themselves.

Eligible citizens who have not yet registered will be required to register at appointed booths from April 30 to May 4.

No more busy

On Monday, registration booths around the capital were not as busy as on previous days.

In Pegangsaan subdistrict, Central Jakarta, for example, three Gastarlih were the sole occupiers of the booth.

A registration post in Glodok subdistrict, West Jakarta, had been closed since Sunday.

Local resident A Min said the voluntary registration period had ended.

"Gastarlih are now counting the registrants before submitting results to the subdistrict office," he said.

According to A Min, Gastarlih would begin making door-to-door visits to residents starting from Tuesday.

However, officials from several subdistricts were worried about a possible decline of registered voters for the polls.

Petojo Selatan subdistrict in Central Jakarta, for example, had recorded 4,898 eligible voters as of Monday afternoon, less than half the figure recorded in previous polls.

"In the 1997 polls, there were a total of 11,000 eligible voters registered on the final registration day in this subdistrict," said Gastarlih Suroso.

Similar voting patterns disturbed officials in Karang Anyar subdistrict, also Central Jakarta.

Residents acknowledged a disinclination to vote for a variety of reasons, including the great number of contesting parties.

Agus Supriyono, a security staff member at Hero supermarket in Tomang, West Jakarta, said: "I'm confused as there are so many parties and my prosperity will not be affected if I vote for any of them".

In Tangerang, residents in many areas remained in a state of confusion regarding the registration process. They said they had not been informed of the location of registration points and that local neighborhood heads had yet to receive registration forms.

"We've been asking for the registration forms since last week. Today, we're going to the Tangerang Regional Elections Committee to directly pick up the forms in order to be able to serve residents beginning this evening," said Gastarlih Opar of Kelapa Dua, Curug.

Another Gastarlih said Tangerang lacked sufficient registration forms.

"Many subdistricts are only given 3,000 forms each, whereas most of the area is resided in by between 8,000 to 11,000 eligible voters," he said.

There was no confirmation of a shortfall in registration forms from the local poll committee.

In Bogor, south of here, locals commenced their first registration day on Monday, after being delayed due to lack of preparation, particularly the supply of forms.

From early in the morning, hundreds of people flocked to registration booths, after being informed about the start from announcements made through mosques and via neighborhood chiefs, who made door-to-door visits to encourage people to register for the elections.

The people's enthusiasm, however, led to long queues of voters to-be at most registration booths.

Many of the hopeful registrants, impatient with the long queues, gave up waiting and returned to their homes.

"No way, there were too many people lining up. It's better to go back home first and come back again later," housewife Lilis from Sukadamai said.

According to deputy chief of Bogor's Regional Elections Committee, Irfan Maulidi, the area had been registering voters at booths from Sunday.

He, however acknowledged the committee had not yet received any operating funds from the KPU.

Irfan said that while awaiting the release of funds from the organizing electoral body, the committee financed its operations from a loan of Rp 50 million secured from local administrative authorities.

"As of today, we have yet to receive any poll money, while our balance from the fund rests at only Rp 15 million," he said.

Many places in Bogor regency had financed the registration process independently of the KPU body.

"Local authorities lend us a place for the registration booth. But for things, such as pens, papers and petrol, we collected money on our own," said Lalu Suryade, secretary of Bogor Regency's Elections Committee. (ind/bsr/01/24)