Ballot papers to reach destination ahead of April 5: KPU
The Jakarta Post Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) assured a worried public on Saturday that all ballot papers were ready and that they would arrive in the country's 32 provinces within two days at the latest.
"Tonight (Saturday night) we are making the final distribution of papers to the provinces, including the Riau islands, Banten, West Java and also the capital, Jakarta.
"All the papers will reach the provinces in about one or two days. From now on we expect local administrations to speed up distribution to their respective municipalities and villages," Ramlan told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
The country's first direct election is submerged in superlatives, with 660 million ballot papers to be printed and distributed to 585,000 polling stations throughout the sprawling archipelago. The KPU has been under scrutiny these days for what the public perceives as its failure to put its logistical arrangements in order, something that could delay the April 5 legislative election.
Ramlan said that the KPU would monitor closely the shipment of papers to all villages to April 1 before deciding whether the legislative election should be delayed or be held in two stages.
Separately, the provincial KPU office (KPUD) in the Southeast Sulawesi town, Kendari, reported that only 50 percent of some five million ballot papers had been received.
"It's ironic that we received papers only for the legislative and regional representatives candidates but none for council candidates," said Djaliman Mahdi, Kendari KPUD head.
The legislative election will elect the 550 members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which comprises members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council. It will also elect members of the Provincial Legislature (DPRD I) and the Regency/Municipality Legislatures (DPRD II).
Djaliman said the KPUD had distributed all the papers it had received thus far to regencies and municipalities across the province.
In the East Kalimantan town, Samarinda, the KPUD has received only about 60 percent of a total 9.1 million papers.
According to KPUD official Masykur Melle, the office expected to receive the remaining papers by Sunday, as distribution to remote areas would take some time.
About 20 subdistricts in the province were categorized as sensitive territory, meaning they are located in hamlets, Masykur said.
"We consider the territory a priority and will call on assistance from the Surya Natakesuma Military Resort Command," he said.
The People's Voter Education Network (JPPR) urged the KPU on Saturday to delay the April 5 election, and identified problems in at least 26 provinces.
Problems in each province varied, ranging from security matters to a lack of readiness of the electorate.
It also identified other problems, including rampant vote buying -- particularly in war-torn Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province -- and delayed delivery of ballot papers.
The JPPR is a group of youth organizations affiliated to Muhammadiyah, the second-largest Muslim organization in the country. It also cooperates with organizations related to the largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, and other non- Muslim youth organizations.