Confusion colors first day of voter registration

Confusion colors first day of voter registration

JAKARTA (JP): The first day of voter registration in the
capital was marked by a lack of preparation and confusion among
registration officials.

It remains unclear whether local registration locations and
officials (Gastarlih) will be ready to carry out their duties on
Tuesday.

Among the problems encountered on Monday were missing
registration forms and stamps, as well as a lack of information,
coordination and professionalism among registration officials.

Some residents who attempted to meet the call to register
beginning on Monday were even asked to leave registration
locations.

Several subdistrict chiefs in the city's five mayoralties
contacted by The Jakarta Post admitted their inability to
register voters on Monday because of the limited time given to
them to make preparations.

Registration locations in the city are, for the most part, in
the offices of subdistrict heads and the houses of neighborhood
chiefs of voters.

According to several subdistrict chiefs, they attended a
meeting on preparations for voter registration at each district
office late on Sunday night, just hours before voter registration
began.

"In the 1997 general election, we were given two years to
prepare for polls contested by only three political parties."

"Now we're only given about two months to prepare for an
election in which a larger number of political parties will
participate," Sutopo, head of Kebon Sirih subdistrict in Central
Jakarta, said.

This lack of preparation was why his office refused to serve
five people who wished to register on Monday morning, he said.

"The stamps were not available yet and Gastarlih (registration
officials) were still being briefed by Central Jakarta mayoralty
officials," he said.

Sutopo also questioned why his subdistrict was given only 80
percent of the promised 13,000 registration forms.

According to Saman Haris, head of a subdistrict in North
Jakarta, the registration process will not be able to begin until
Wednesday.

"We just received the registration forms this (Monday)
afternoon from the Subdistrict Polling Committee, meaning we need
more time to stamp all the forms and make other preparations."

Gastarlih in his subdistrict will not be briefed on the
registration process until Tuesday evening.

He said his office had to ask 10 residents who attempted to
register on Monday morning to come back on Wednesday.

East Jakarta subdistricts also faced similar problems.

The head of Cipinang subdistrict, Wahyadi, said the
registration process on Monday was impossible.

"Most subdistrict heads here complained about a lack of stamps
for the registration forms."

However, in Karet Semanggi subdistrict in South Jakarta and
Slipi subdistrict in West Jakarta voter registration was running
smoothly by Monday afternoon.

On Sunday, the head of the Jakarta Provincial Elections
Committee, Djafar Badjeber, urged all Jakartans to register for
the June 7 general election beginning on Monday.

"If people wish the prolonged crisis to end soon, they should
participate in the polls," he said.

Out of Jakarta's 9.7 million residents, some 5.8 million
people are eligible to vote in the polls.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) earlier announced that
the registration period would last until April 12. From April 13
to April 18, Gastarlih will visit people who live in remote areas
and those who are unable to register themselves.

Those who cannot register during the April 5 to April 12
registration period will be given the opportunity to register
during a six-day period beginning on April 30.

Separately, about 150 members of the Subdistrict Polling
Committee and the District Polling Committee in Central Jakarta
attended a meeting at the mayoralty's office on Monday on the
technical aspects of the election.

"Newcomers dominate these committees, so they do not know the
technical process of holding a poll," Zainuri, the head of social
and political affairs at the Central Jakarta mayoralty office,
said on the sidelines of the meeting.

Asked to comment on the Central Jakarta mayoralty's poor
preparation for the first day of voter registration, Zainuri
said: "The announcement of the registration was aired only on
Sunday by KPU chairman Rudini, so we did not have enough time to
prepare." (ind/01)