KPU vows ballot papers to be on time
KPU vows ballot papers to be on time
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) assured a worried
public on Saturday that all ballot papers were ready and that
they would arrive in the country's 32 provinces within two days
at the latest.
"Tonight (Saturday night) we are making the final distribution
of papers to the provinces, including the Riau islands, Banten,
West Java and also the capital, Jakarta.
"All the papers will reach the provinces in about one or two
days. From now on we expect local administrations to speed up
distribution to their respective municipalities and villages,"
Ramlan told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
The country's first direct election is submerged in
superlatives, with 660 million ballot papers to be printed and
distributed to 585,000 polling stations throughout the sprawling
archipelago. The KPU has been under scrutiny these days for what
the public perceives as its failure to put its logistical
arrangements in order, something that could delay the April 5
legislative election.
Ramlan said that the KPU would monitor closely the shipment of
papers to all villages to April 1 before deciding whether the
legislative election should be delayed or be held in two stages.
Separately, the provincial KPU office (KPUD) in the Southeast
Sulawesi town, Kendari, reported that only 50 percent of some
five million ballot papers had been received.
"It's ironic that we received papers only for the legislative
and regional representatives candidates but none for council
candidates," said Djaliman Mahdi, Kendari KPUD head.
The legislative election will elect the 550 members of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which comprises members of
the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional
Representatives Council. It will also elect members of the
Provincial Legislature (DPRD I) and the Regency/Municipality
Legislatures (DPRD II).
Djaliman said the KPUD had distributed all the papers it had
received thus far to regencies and municipalities across the
province.
In the East Kalimantan town, Samarinda, the KPUD has received
only about 60 percent of a total 9.1 million papers.
According to KPUD official Masykur Melle, the office expected
to receive the remaining papers by Sunday, as distribution to
remote areas would take some time.
About 20 subdistricts in the province were categorized as
sensitive territory, meaning they are located in hamlets, Masykur
said.
"We consider the territory a priority and will call on
assistance from the Surya Natakesuma Military Resort Command," he
said.
The People's Voter Education Network (JPPR) urged the KPU on
Saturday to delay the April 5 election, and identified problems
in at least 26 provinces.
Problems in each province varied, ranging from security
matters to a lack of readiness of the electorate.
It also identified other problems, including rampant vote
buying -- particularly in war-torn Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
province -- and delayed delivery of ballot papers.
The JPPR is a group of youth organizations affiliated to
Muhammadiyah, the second-largest Muslim organization in the
country. It also cooperates with organizations related to the
largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, and other non-
Muslim youth organizations.