Glitches abound in Surabaya polls

SURABAYA: The capital of East Java, like many other cities, became a ghost town when residents went to the polls but problems appeared in many of the 3,656 polling stations there.

In Dukuh Kupang subdistrict, for instance, about 100 residents had voted when poll officials suddenly announced they had run out of indelible ink. One official left briefly and returned carrying a small glass of water, which he poured into the ink bottle.

Residents became upset in the station where there were no election supervisory officials. About half an hour later someone told poll officials that a fresh supply of ink could be obtained from the subdistrict office.

"We didn't do it on purpose," Suyitno, one of the poll officials, said. "We really didn't know we could get more ink."

At the polling station in Putat Jaya, there were only four officials so local civilian security (Hansip) were summoned to help the voting process. There were 354 registered voters for 3 booths there. Balloting proceeded slowly, and only 75 had voted by 1 p.m.

In Bendul Merisi, two "suspicious looking" men were detained by security volunteers and brought to the Wonokromo Police Precinct. Residents said the unidentified men were provocateurs.

The polling station in Waru district, Sidoarjo regency, did not have necessary forms to record voting results. Poll officials looked bewildered and could only sit for two hours before the forms finally arrived.

Chief of East Java election committee, Bisri A. Djalil, said he knew nothing of the missing forms because documents were sent directly from the General Elections Commission in Jakarta to regencies, bypassing the Provincial Elections Committee. (nur)