Geographics, illiteracy threaten election in Papua
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua
Contrary to the general fear that security issues could be the major threat to the success of the 2004 general elections in Papua, a local election official cited the province's geographical condition as the most serious electoral constraint.
General Elections Commission (KPU) Papua secretary Sangadji added that Papua's high illiteracy rate was another problem that the KPU must tackle to ensure that the 2004 general elections stay on track.
Sangadji told a visiting KPU team from Jakarta last week to pay special attention to the province, because many cities and remote regencies could only be reached by plane.
"Don't look at Papua the way you look at Java because geographical condition here is very severe. It takes a longer time and a larger amount of money to complete just one of the stages in the election process," he told KPU team leader Daan Dimara.
Besides this, when bringing residents of remote areas to the polling booth, their expenses for food must also be paid by the KPU, Sangaji said.
He explained that villages are located far one from another, and that there were usually only four families to a village.
As it is not feasible to set up a polling booth at each village, the KPU plans to set up booths only in key locations.
Due to the distance and geographical factors involved, it is expected that Papuans travel on foot to polling booths and stay for a day or two in makeshift shelters to be erected nearby.
The shelter and food provided by the KPU are intended to encourage Papuans to travel the long distances in order to vote.
"If these conditions are not taken into account by KPU headquarters, we are afraid that at the most, only 30 percent of voters will turn up," Sangaji said.
Papua consists of 26 regencies and two mayoralties, many of which are situated in mountainous areas and can only be reached by air transportation. Only those regencies located in coastal areas can be reached by boat.
The distance is not only a challenge for the voters, but also for KPU officials.
Similar complaints were also voiced by the KPU Kerom head Budi Setyanto. The newly established regency is situated about 60 kilometers to the east of provincial capital Jayapura.
In Kerom, four of its five districts can be reached over land despite bad road conditions. However, the Web district, which borders Papua New Guinea, can only be reached by plane.
"It costs Rp 8 million to charter a helicopter to fly there, so including the return trip, we will need Rp 16 million just for Kerom alone," said Budi.
He said it was much easier for electoral officials during Soeharto's New Order era, because they did not need to spend energy trying to reach voters. "Officials didn't need to go to remote villages. They only counted the number of prospective voters in a village and then punched the ballot on the voters' behalf at the subdistrict office."
This indirect method of voting was perpetuated by electoral officials in the past to influence the outcome in favor of the New Order regime.
As for the illiteracy issue, 63 percent of the 2.2 million of Papua population above 15 years old cannot read or write. At a simulated election conducted on Oct. 23 in Skanto district in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, like the Center for Electoral Reform (CETRO), it was found that most polling errors were made by illiterate voters.
"It will be a problem with such a great number of illiterate voters come election time," said Budi.