Local government to help logistics contingency plan

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Regional governments will also share the burden of emergency measures in anticipation of problems that may hinder the upcoming elections, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Friday.

"We ordered the regional administrations on Thursday to deal with possible logistical problems only, such as the provision of ballot boxes and distribution of ballot papers," Hari said before a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The regional administrations, he added, would not prepare a contingency plan to deal with other obstacles such as security threats or political tensions.

He said in areas where the General Elections Commission (KPU) could not distribute ballot boxes, the local administration would have to provide wooden boxes of a similar standard to those used in the 1999 polls.

"But the most important thing is we have to make sure all the ballot papers are valid. We can produce wooden boxes but not ballot papers," Hari said.

KPU will have to distribute 2.19 million ballot boxes and 160 million ballot papers to around 540,000 polling stations across the country 10 days before the poll on April 5.

Hari said to ensure the distribution, the government had also asked the Indonesian Military (TNI) to support the distribution of the election kits to make sure they arrive at all destinations on time.

With the help of the TNI, the process could finish in less than a week, Hari said.

"What can only help in technical matters, which are also important in ensuring the election takes place on schedule," he said.

The minister said the instruction was delivered across the country after evaluating the ongoing election preparation by the KPU.

The contingency plan has made headlines over the past few days after the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) identified 28 possible threats to the elections, ranging from the delay in the distribution of ballot boxes and papers to security problems, during a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission I on security and foreign affairs earlier this week.

People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais hailed the government's initiative to draft the contingency plan in anticipation of a delay in the election.

He suggested that the government also think about the worst- case scenario.

"I think preparing a contingency plan is a good step. We must not only think of the bright side, but should also be prepared for the worst," he told the media here on Friday.

Amien, who is the presidential candidate of the National Mandate Party (PAN), acknowledged, however, he was optimistic the elections would proceed on time.

Despite problems in the procurement of ballot boxes and the ballot papers, he said, he anticipated that the contingency plan would not be needed.

Regarding the campaign schedule for the President, Vice President and Cabinet ministers, Hari said the timetable was being drafted by deputy Cabinet secretary Erman Radjagukguk.

"Each minister will have three consecutive days off for campaigning, but they must put state affairs before party interests," Hari said.

Citing an example, he said a minister must take part in an emergency Cabinet meeting despite his or her campaign schedule. Should they miss the Cabinet meeting it will cost them their right to campaign.

Campaigning will take place between March 11 and April 1. None of the Cabinet ministers are registered as legislative candidates.