Jember's blind people neglected in direct election for regent
Jember's blind people neglected in direct election for regent
Slamet Susanto and ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta/Jember
A large number of disabled persons in Jember were unable to cast
votes in the direct regental elections here on June 22,
indicating that their right to vote had been ignored, said a
leader of a disabled persons association on Wednesday.
"During the direct elections, only three blind people voted
out of total over 50 eligible to vote in the regency," said
Rachmad Hadi, chairman of the Indonesian Disabled Persons
Association's Jember branch.
Rachmad said that he had expressed his concerns to the Jember
General Elections Commission (KPUD), but his complaints had
fallen on deaf ears, except at polling booth 14 in Semanggu
subdistrict here, where three blind people where able to vote.
The three persons in question were Rachmad Hadi, his wife Irma
Nur and neighbor Titin Wardani.
Rachmad said that the current situation was deplorable as in
the 1999 legislative elections, blind people were informed and
given an opportunity to vote in the elections.
"It's strange that blind people were not informed and given a
chance to vote in the direct regental elections," said Rachmad,
quoted by Antara news agency.
He said the situation was sad and ironic because it was easy
and cheap to facilitate voting for the blind. Blind people only
need carton papers that bear the names of candidates using
braille letters.
Ketty S, a KPUD member, admitted that they had earlier thought
that blind people would not vote. They only became aware of the
situation when poll officials from poling booth 14 in Semanggu
subdistrict requested facilities in order to allow blind people
to vote.
"When we realized (that blind people would vote) we had
already run out of time, except at polling booth 14 in Semanggu
subdistrict. There were three blind people near this booth who
were given the opportunity to vote," said Ketty.
Rachmad, however, said that he made the carton papers bearing
the names of the candidates in braille by himself, in order to
help fellow blind people to vote.
"The poll officials approved it," said Rachmad.
Separately, KPU officials in Yogyakarta have apparently been
more aware of the voting rights of blind people.
KPUDs in Bantul and Sleman regencies have provided supporting
facilities for the disabled, including braille templates for the
blind, and special polling booths for disabled persons using
wheelchairs.
In Bantul, the local KPUD has provided 17 braille templates,
while in Sleman, some 400 braille templates have been provided.
The elections will be held simultaneously in the two regencies
on June 26.