Numerous challenges facing election organizers in Poso

Numerous challenges facing election organizers in Poso

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi

The upcoming elections in Poso regency are facing various
challenges, including the fact that several areas in the conflict
zone are still off limits to people of different religions.

For example, Muslims do not dare enter the South Pamona area
as it is a Christian stronghold, said the head of the Poso
General Elections Commission (Poso KPU), Yasin Mangun.

"Despite the fact that the situation in Poso is returning to
normal, Muslims would not go there for love nor money. The same
applies in the opposite situation to Christians," he said.

Not only is the regency plagued by sectarian problems, but the
Poso KPU also faces geographic obstacles. Some areas, for
example, are still only accessible on horseback, with it taking
at least two days to reach the more remote areas in some cases.

In Lore, for example, the only means of transportation is by
horse, he said, thus making communications expensive. Money for
transportation, however, is not provided by the central KPU.

According to Yasin, the lack of transportation funds has been
a major obstacle for the Poso KPU, bearing in mind the hilly
terrain and large geographic area of Poso regency. Maritime
transportation is also expensive. The cost of the trip to Togean
Island, for example, is prohibitive, and the journey takes a few
days.

"This has caused us a lot of headaches and confusion," said
Yasin, a former student activist from Tadulako University (Untad)
in Palu.

There will be 886 polling stations serving 174,296 registered
voters in the regency, according to Yasin, with a total of 3,544
ballot boxes being required.

He said that if there was a scarcity of ballot boxes, meaning
that the number of boxes sent by the central KPU was less than
the number required by the Poso KPU, the Poso KPU and the Poso
regency administration would make up the difference.

"We could possibly use the ballot boxes from the last
election, which are still in good condition," he explained.

Yasin said that to date voting simulations has only been
conducted up to the district level, and had only been
participated in by district and sub-district officials.

The Poso KPU had not involved the public at large in the
simulations due to a lack of money.

The Poso KPU had also faced problems in registering
legislative council candidates. In Poso, what was particularly
confusing, he said, was the fact that many candidates claimed
their school certificates had been lost or burned during the
conflict.

"It's hard to prove whether they're telling the truth or not,"
he said. At least 30 candidates had claimed that their
certificates had been burned.

Tadulako University's Peace and Conflict Management Research
Center (P4K) in Palu held a general election information campaign
in two areas last month -- Tentena, the capital of the Christian
dominated North Pamona district, and the Muslim dominated Coastal
Poso area.

Some 100 residents from each community were tested to see if
they knew how to vote, but most of them made mistakes. The level
of error was 65 percent on average. "They still made mistakes
even though we briefed them before they cast their votes," said
Tahmidi Lasahido, a staffer with the center.

Central Sulawesi governor Aminuddin Ponulele told The Jakarta
Post that his administration had formed a combined team to tackle
any problems that might arise during the upcoming general
elections.

According to the governor, the principal duty of the team was
to monitor the progress of the elections, including identifying
any technical problems that might be encountered.

Yasin added that the various technical obstacles on the ground
would have a significant impact in Poso. For example, the Poso
KPU had to request assistance from the police and armed forces to
escort ballot boxes to certain community strongholds.

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha said the
police had deployed around 5,000 personnel to ensure security
during the general elections in the province. Two-thirds of the
officers were stationed in Poso.

However, he said he was optimistic that the elections would
proceed smoothly in the regency. He said that the people of Poso
were now cooperating with the security forces as shown by the
large numbers of firearms and bombs discovered thanks to
information supplied by the public. Formerly, the police chief
said, residents were reluctant to cooperate during weapons
searches.

Political rallies would be allowed to be held in Poso as long
as they followed the rules, he said.