Disabled people appeal to KPU for concrete steps

Disabled people appeal to KPU for concrete steps

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

People with disabilities have largely expressed reluctance to
exercise their right to vote as the General Elections Commission
(KPU) has failed to provide access to polling stations, an
activist said.

Chairman of the General Elections Committee for Access to
People with Disabilities (PPUA Penca) Ariani Abdul Mun'im said on
Thursday that she had asked the KPU on a number of occasions to
heed the group's demands, but to no avail.

"We have talked with Pak Ramlan Surbakti, and Bu Chusnul
Mar'iyah about the matter and they seemed to respond well during
our conversations, but why aren't they taking any concrete steps
to fulfill our request?" said Ariani.

The PPUA has asked for voting booths, which are convenient for
people in wheelchairs and ballot papers with braille.

Ariani said there was a discrepancy in the Law No. 12/2003 on
election and KPU Decree No. 1/2004 on election rulings regarding
the number of helpers in case a disabled person is unable to cast
his or her ballot.

The law states that disabled people could bring a helper to
vote with them, while the decree says the KPU would provide two
officers from the Polling Station Committee (KPPS) to help them.

Ariani said although the KPU decree rules out the possibility
of providing braille ballots, the elections commission should
provide them so all people can vote by themselves if they so
desire.

Disabled people account for 10 percent of Indonesia's 216
million population, according to World Health Organization data.

Deputy chairman of PPUA Penca, Heppy Sebayang, said the KPU
has failed to initiate the necessary changes, so many disabled
people just would not vote.

"Many people will be cheated (of their right to vote secretly)
and many ballot papers will be considered invalid because the
disabled won't be able to cast their ballots accurately," said
Heppy.