People encouraged to register for general election
People encouraged to register for general election
JAKARTA (JP): Like in other cities across the country,
Indonesians in the capital who are 17 years of age and older --
except for members of the Armed Forces (ABRI) -- are being urged
to register for the June 7 general election beginning on Monday.
According to the National Elections Committee, people can
register at a number of public places, including schools, village
meeting halls and subdistrict offices.
In Jakarta, most of the registration locations will be
publicly announced beginning on Monday. This will be followed by
the registration period, which will last until April 12.
From April 13 to April 18, voter registration officials,
locally called Gastarlih, will visit those who live in remote
areas and those who are unable to register themselves, including
prisoners, the elderly, disabled people and those being treated
in hospitals.
The only requirement to register is a document which provides
proof of nationality, and gives the age and address of those
wishing to register. People can present registration officials,
for example, an identification card (KTP), a student
identification card, a letter from their local neighborhood chief
or an employee card.
Those who cannot register during the April 5 to April 12
registration period will be allowed to register with Gastarlih
from April 30 to May 4.
The head of Jakarta's Provincial Elections Committee, Djafar
Badjeber, urged Jakartans to use the valuable chance to exercise
their right to vote.
"If people wish the prolonged crisis to end soon, they should
participate in the polls, which will determine the new government
and hopefully will bring the country out of the crisis," he told
The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
About 5.8 million of the city's 9.7 million residents are
eligible to vote in the polls, which will be contested by 48
political parties.
According to Djafar, Gastarlih in Jakarta also will visit
residents and urge them to voluntarily register if voter
registration is low.
Reaction
Contacted separately by the Post on Sunday, many Jakartans,
including an activist, a civil servant, an executive, a servant
and a housewife, said they were not enthusiastic about
registering themselves to vote. They said they preferred to be
visited by Gastarlih.
Yuniyanti Chuzaifah, an executive with the Women Solidarity
non-governmental organization, said it was impossible for her to
register during working hours.
Umikalsum Boer, head of the reforestation section in the
Jakarta office of the Ministry of Forestry, said it was too
difficult to register because she lived in Depok, West Java, but
worked in Jakarta.
"I will register myself only if I have time. It will be very
helpful if the officials (Gastarlih) visit residents," she said.
A similar view is held by Dewi Widianti, public relations
manager at Hilton Hotel.
"Of course, I'll choose the easier way to register. That is
waiting for registration officials because it won't bother my
working hours," she said.
Nuriah, a servant in Central Jakarta said: "I won't register
unless, like during the 1997 election, the local neighborhood
chief forces me to vote."
Veteran journalist and noted author Arswendo Atmowiloto, who
admitted to have never voted in previous elections, has a
different view.
He insisted he would not miss this poll and would voluntarily
register himself.
"For sure, I will not miss the registration process," he said.
Meanwhile, Liana, a housewife from Tangerang, said she would
vote in the election because she wanted to have a new experience.
"It is the first time I can choose one of the symbols of the
48 parties contesting the poll."
"Also, if it's possible, I want to keep one ballot for myself
as a kind of souvenir," she said. (ind)