Home minister scolded for joke

A member of the Surabaya Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) admonished Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno on Thursday after the minister demonstrated the correct way to cast a vote to a group of local election officials.

Originally, said Hari, voters were expected to punch the picture of their chosen candidates, but a special box had been prepared on the ballot paper for security reasons.

"If voters punch the picture, we fear that they might cast a spell on the candidates, since black magic is quite common in this province. We're afraid the candidates might feel their lives are in danger," he said, and burst into laughter.

A voter must punch both the logo of their chosen party and the pictures of their chosen legislative and Regional Representatives Council candidates for the ballot to be valid.

"I protest your statement about black magic," the Panwaslu official told Hari. -- JP