Panwaslu to recruit poll observers

PADANG, West Sumatra: West Sumatra Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) plans to hire over 13,000 election observers for the West Sumatra gubernatorial election on June 27, a senior official said on Thursday.

Hasril Chaniago, the head of the West Sumatra Panwaslu, said that most of them would monitor at polling stations, while others would work at the subdistrict poll committee secretariats throughout the province.

"There is a possibility that none of the candidates will have their own observers during the election, so we have taken the initiative to provide monitors in all polling booths and subdistrict offices across the province," said Hasril.

The poll observers will be hired in early June and then will be trained. The observers will mostly be local residents and should have no direct affiliation with any political party or candidate. The Panwaslu has earmarked Rp 1.6 billion (approximately US$170,000) for the observers. -- JP