Copiers used in rush to meet election day

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Semarang, Central Java

Several regencies continued to report the lack of election materials on Wednesday while the government nears the Friday deadline to decide whether to issue a decree postponing the election altogether or only in certain areas.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra confirmed on Wednesday that the government was preparing a draft regulation to amend Article 119 of the Election Law on conditions for delayed elections in particular areas.

The Election Law only states the election may delayed only in the case of riots, security disturbances or natural disasters.

Meanwhile, in Semarang, Central Java, election officials grudgingly allowed the photocopying of hundreds of thousands of vote counting forms in a desperate bid to hold an election as scheduled on April 5.

Dozens of regencies also requested additional ballot papers from the General Elections Commission (KPU) to anticipate unforeseen circumstances on election day -- such as the arrival of unregistered voters who insisted on voting.

For the first time, Indonesians will directly elect central and local legislature members, as well as members of the Regional Representative Council.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said some 50 of its regental/municipal branch offices had demanded the provision of three million additional ballot papers as a contingency.

Among those regencies demanding additional ballot papers are: Sukabumi, Bogor, West Java; Pamekasan, East Java; South Sorong, Sorong and Jayapura, all in Papua.

Mulyana said the Jayapura KPU had even threatened to photocopy the original ballot papers and to stamp them with an official seal if the KPU did not provide additional ballots.

He cited the officers' fears that if unregistered voters were not allowed to vote, riots might erupt at polling stations.

"So far, our answer to the demand is that the existing 10 percent of reserve ballot papers may be adequate," he said.

Meanwhile, ad interim security minister Hari Sabarno said his office was monitoring the ballot paper distribution every six hours to ensure the election would be held simultaneously.

He stressed that the rate of distribution had increased every hour based on monitoring reports from Subdistrict Polling Committees (PPS) across the country.

"Three days before the election, we will hold another meeting and we hope distribution will be completed by then," he said.

Regencies that had not received all required logistics included two in East Kalimantan. If necessary, the provincial KPU "will propose to the (central) KPU to delay the election in the two regencies," said East Kalimantan KPU member Masykur Melle.

The province's Malinau regency had not received all of its 15,900 ballot paper quota for the election of House of Representatives and provincial legislature members. Kutai Kertanegara had yet to receive 3,000 ballots for the provincial legislative election and 6,000 ballots for the regental/municipal legislative election.

In East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), ballot paper distribution for the legislative election in six regencies averaged just 60 percent.