50,000 observers ready for April polls

SEMARANG: At least 50,000 poll observers, including foreign observers, are ready to monitor the April 5 legislative election in Central Java.

The observers include those from the Gita Pertiwi foundation, the Rector Forum, the European Union and the Election Observing Community (Mapilu).

The poll observers declared their readiness on Wednesday after their representatives signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Java Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu).

Nur Hidayat Sardini, chairman of the Central Java Panwaslu, said the presence of the observers was highly important, because the committee had a limited number of officials to observe the election. -- JP