Center for Electoral Reform holds vote simulation in Papua

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

The Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) held a simulation ballot on Thursday in Skanto district, Keerom regency, some 60 kilometers east of Jayapura.

The simulation, the first of its kind in Papua, drew overwhelming attention from local residents.

Hundreds of Skanto residents gathered at the Jaifury soccer field beginning at 8 a.m, two hours before the simulation was scheduled to begin.

Ten ballot boxes were set up in the soccer field by Cetro and its local counterpart, the Keerom General Elections Commission (KPU).

The simulation ballot began with the chairman of each ballot box (TPS) taking an oath, followed by random checks of the ballot papers.

When the balloting was declared open, the impatient residents began to jostle each other as they tried to get to the front of the line.

"Get in line," shouted a man to a young woman who was trying to push ahead of him.

"Sorry. I left my son at home so I have to be fast," she replied.

The Skanto district consists of five villages and 2,700 residents, 1,600 of whom are eligible voters.

In the simulation, each eligible voter was given five ballot papers to vote for president, vice president, and members of the Regional Representative Council, the House of Representatives and the provincial and regency councils.

"They should attach photographs of the legislators to the ballot papers because many residents are illiterate," local resident Yosef Turot said.

Smita Notosusanto, Cetro's executive director, said some 50.36 percent of the 500 ballots cast during the simulation contained errors.

As the 2004 poll draws near, the high rate of error should serve as a lesson for the KPU to educate the people about the voting procedure, she said.

Papua is the 11th province where Cetro has held simulation ballots.