New Year's security a model for elections

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The relatively peaceful New Year's Eve celebration in the capital will be the benchmark for Jakarta Police to apply similar measures to uphold security in the upcoming campaign period in March until the completion of the elections in October.

"Learning from our experience, we will impose similar security measures for the elections," said the city police chief, Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara, on Friday.

Makbul said his personnel would take stronger action against those violating the law during the campaign period, especially traffic violators.

"We won't allow supporters (of political parties) to parade across the city by riding on open trucks, pick-up vehicles or by sitting atop buses or cars as they could endanger their lives and other motorists," he said.

Makbul warned that police would ticket motorists who violated traffic regulations in campaign rallies and also report to the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) parties whose supporters committed violations.

The police and Panwaslu have signed an agreement on violations and crimes related to the elections. Police will handle criminal cases, while Panwaslu will impose sanction on parties which commit administrative violations.

During the New Year celebrations, police ticketed 650 traffic violators and confiscated 39 motorcycles that did not have the necessary documents.

A total of 25,000 police personnel will be deployed for the elections. They will be supported by the Jakarta Military Command.

The officers will safeguard a total of 22,005 polling stations across the city. The joint forces will also patrol 253 areas on motorcycles, cars and trucks and speed boats.

Makbul claimed that the number of traffic accidents in the New Year celebrations were lower compared to last year, owing to better public compliance with road rules.

"We received only two reports of traffic accidents during the celebrations. One man was killed and others were slightly injured," he claimed.

However, hospital sources reported that one person died and 19 people were injured in various car and motorcycles accidents. The Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta reported that 11 people were treated there for injuries sustained in traffic accidents.