Police guard KPUD office after attack

Police guard KPUD office after attack

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Police stood guard at the Tanjung Balai Regional General
Elections Commission (KPUD) office on Wednesday after a mob
attacked the building in protest over alleged electoral
violations.

The police said two people were arrested as suspects in the
incident on Tuesday night.

There were no fatalities and no one was injured when thousands
of protesters, from several political parties, stormed the KPUD,
stoning the building.

The attack left the office's windows shattered and the sign
outside the building was torn down.

Election officials panicked and fled the building.

Thousands of documents also reportedly disappeared after the
attack.

The mob was angered by allegations that local KPUD members
were involved in election fraud during the polling day on Monday.

They demanded that elections in at least four polling stations
in the neighborhoods of Bunga Tanjung and Pahang be rerun to
ensure fair and free voting.

The protesters marched to the KPUD office on Jl. Sudirman in
Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra, but were unable to meet any
officials there. The frustrated protesters later started to
vandalize the building, forcing workers there to flee.

Herna Vaiva, a protest coordinator who also chairs Tanjung
Bali chapter of the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PPIB), said
demonstrators were disappointed by the KPUD's bias in response to
election violations.

The KPUD appeared to turn a blind eye to alleged infractions
by a certain political party ahead of the election day, he added.

"There are many irregularities found, such as distributing
food a few days ahead of the election and up to minutes before
voting began.

"A number of witnesses and voters have also admitted to have
been given large amounts of money by a major party. All this has
been reported to the KPUD, but there was no response," Herna
said.

He said that since the beginning the selection of local KPUD
members was tainted by political interests in favor of certain
parties, which had reportedly influenced their nominations.

This case had also been reported to the central General
Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta, he added.

Tanjung Balai's KPUD member Marolop Simangunsong admitted that
his office had some shortcomings but denied that it had performed
poorly in organizing the legislative election.

He slammed the attack by party supporters on his office,
saying it was against the law and should be processed according
to the law.

If people found electoral violations, their parties should
have reported them to the local General Elections Supervisory
Committee (Panwaslu), instead of reacting violently, he said.

Marolop denied that KPUD members were elected following
support from a major party. "We are neutral and impartial. We
don't want to side with any particular party."

Tanjung Balai Police chief Adj. Comr. Chairul Anwar said his
office was investigating the incident and vowed to take firm
action against the attackers.

He said two people were arrested and were being questioned in
connection with the attack.

"Two suspects are being detained for questioning," said Anwar,
who was among dozens of police personnel guarding the KPUD
building along with Teluknibung Police chief Adj. Comr. Samsul
Bahri.