'Black zone' gears for general elections

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Aceh

Sawang district, Aceh province, is determined to see political parties campaigning for the upcoming general election, despite the fact that it is still classified as a "black zone" by the Indonesian Military (TNI).

"Black zone" refers to an area that is still heavily influenced by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been at war with the TNI since the Indonesian government declared martial law in Aceh in May last year.

Sawang district head First. Lt. Abdul Barri has said the Indonesian government would assure elections in the district would go smoothly, despite security threats. Abdul said he had requested additional military and police personnel to safeguard elections in the district.

The district has a police subprecinct office and a military command subprecinct office, but with the polls drawing near, the district government will ask the TNI to build two additional command posts in the district.

In addition, the district government has also established an Emergency Service (Linmas), and some 300 volunteers have already been trained to guard the elections on April 5.

"At the outset, seven village heads in Sawang were threatened by GAM rebels for recruiting people to become Linmas volunteers but that problem has already been overcome," Abdul told The Jakarta Post.

The district government is taking other precautionary measures to ensure the success of the polls.

Abdul said the district government would merge polling booths, so security personnel could be more concentrated, minimizing the risks.

It was originally planned to have 62 polling booths in 15 locations in the district, but these numbers might be reduced.

There are 16,754 eligible voters registered in Sawang.

According to data from the Sawang administration, of the 15 planned polling locations, only two are considered safe, namely the villages of Ulee Geudong and Abeuk Reuling.

Five locations are considered somewhat dangerous and eight very dangerous.

A local resident said there were about 60 members of GAM still active in Sawang subdistrict.

A security "gray zone" is where the majority of residents are pro-TNI, while a "white zone" refers to an area where all the residents are pro-TNI.

"Since 2000, Sawang has been in the hands of GAM. In 1999 there were no elections here," said Muhammad, 55, a Sawang resident.

Regarding the elections campaign, the commander of the Sawang military command, Chief Warrant Officer Suamsuar, said that at the moment three locations for campaigning in Sawang had been determined.

These locations are soccer fields in the villages of Teungoh, Paya Rabo and Sawang.

As the district government steps up efforts to tighten security in the district, district head Abdul Barri urged political parties to establish party secretariats in the district. "They should not worry about security here."

No political parties currently have secretariats in the district because of security threats.