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)