Lampung plans to hold simultaneous elections

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post/Bandarlampung

In order to prevent possible poll rigging, the Lampung General Elections Commission (KPU) is planning to hold direct elections at five regencies and municipalities at the same time. The simultaneous elections are set to be held in early June next year, said Lampung KPU chief Suwondo.

"The simultaneous elections are aimed at preventing a possible movement of people from one region to another to vote more than once in support of particular parties. But, whether the plan will materialize or not hinges on a central government decree, which is set to be issued soon," said Suwondo on Tuesday.

The five regions in question are Metro municipality, South Lampung regency, Bandarlampung municipality, Way Kanan regency and East Lampung regency.

The proposed precautionary measure is important to prevent possible vote rigging in the upcoming elections. The poll will elect heads of regional governments -- mayors and regents -- in the five regions.

"Learning from past experiences, vote rigging was rampant during the gubernatorial election and the election for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and we don't want it to happen again," said Suwondo.

In the recent gubernatorial and DPD elections, thousands of people, who had acquired more than one identity card, moved from one region to another to cast their vote several times.

The simultaneous elections will help prevent people from traveling from one region to another to vote.

"It will also make it easier for us to oversee the elections and allow us to produce one regulation that is suitable for all," said Suwondo.

He said that his office was arranging guidelines and regulations for direct elections at the regional governments. The guidelines were on the election campaign, the eligibility of the candidates, voting guidelines and the guidelines to install a new head of a regional government.

Although the government decree on general rules in the elections has not been issued, some political parties in Lampung had already opened registration for people wanting to contest the direct elections. People wishing to contest the post of mayor or regent have to be nominated by political parties, according to the law on direct elections in the regions.

The most popular party among Bandarlampung city residents is the Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS), a Islam-based party.

Scores of people, mostly out of the PKS structure, have registered themselves with the PKS, in the hope that the PKS will nominate them for the top post in the municipality of Bandarlampung, the capital of Lampung province.

People are also interested in registering with other big parties such as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- P), Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP).

Although the direct elections are still a few months away, people in Bandarlampung have already begun campaigning in the city. The Bandarlampung mayoral hopefuls have disseminated pamphlets, calendars and posters to the public.

The direct elections, which will be also held in other regions next year, will be the first in the country's history. Earlier, the heads of regional governments were elected by the provincial or regental (municipal) council.