Election materials have reach regencies

Election materials have reach regencies

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ten days before the election day, a number provincial General
Elections Commission (KPUD) reported on Friday that despite many
problems, they had begun distributing ballot papers and other
election materials to regental KPUDs.

In regions where the material has reached the regency KPUDs,
the commission simultaneously delivered the materials to poll
organizers at the village level (PPS).

In some of the country's far-flung provinces, ballot papers
were said to have reached the PPS officials.

In Jayapura, Papua, ballot papers arrived on June 20 and were
sent from the provincial KPUD's warehouse destined for the
province's remote regencies, officials at the KPUD said.

In a bid to prevent late distribution of the ballot papers,
Governor J.P. Solossa had instructed all regents in the
easternmost province to provide additional funds for such
distribution.

In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, a number of PPS officials said
that they had received ballot papers for the July 5 polls,
despite shortfalls in some forms needed for the ballot counting.

In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, provincial KPUD officials said
that although a substantial number of ballots had been
distributed to regental KPUDs, ten regencies had not yet received
the ink or ballot security seals.

KPUD member Yos Dasi Djawa said the province also needed
15,000 additional ballot papers.

In Bandarlampung, Lampung, the provincial KPUD office said
that all materials for the polls had arrived at the regency
KPUDs, but could not immediately deliver them to 365 PPS around
the province due to geographic and financial constraints.

A member of the Lampung KPUD Chaerullah Gultom said the
commission had difficulties reaching polling stations located in
remote regions.

He claimed that distribution to those areas would require more
money than they had in their budget. "We therefore ask the
regental administrations to help with the distribution and the
setting up of polling booths," he said.

However, despite the glitches, the KPUD was optimistic that
one week before election day, all materials and polling stations
would be ready.

In Palu, Central Sulawesi, provincial KPUD officials said that
it was hoping the KPU in Jakarta would send an additional 39,000
ballot papers to the province to make up for a shortfall.
"However, we are confident that the additional ballots will
arrive before June 26," he said.

He also said that KPUD had completed distribution to the
province's interior regions and distant islands.

In Samarinda, East Kalimantan, the provincial KPUD said that
logistical woes had plagued the April 5 legislative election, but
they would not recur as it managed to distribute all materials on
time.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, provincial elections commission
reported that it even kept and extra supply of materials on hand,
particularly ballot papers.

KPU member Hamid Awaluddin said that all ballot papers would
have reached PPS around the country by Friday evening before
being distributed to over 580,000 polling stations.

"After the ballots reach the PPS officials, we still have
three days to deliver them to each polling station," he said.

We have printed over 160 million papers for the July 5
election, and around 154 million people are eligible to vote.