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)