Subdistrict ready for Sept. 20 runoff

Subdistrict ready for Sept. 20 runoff

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

With the presidential election runoff only three days away,
members of subdistrict election committees on Friday were busy
making final preparations for the Sept. 20 election.

Nining, 38, chairwoman of Pondok Pinang subdistrict election
committee, was busy making a final check of all logistics --
ballot papers, voter lists, voting guidelines and various kinds
of forms -- for the 165 polling stations in her subdistrict.

Helped by two committee members, she had to sign letters for
voters who wanted to vote in other subdistricts.

"These days, we have to be in the secretariat until late at
night. Last night, I left after 1 a.m. The work will reach its
peak on the eve of the election. We will have to spend the night
here," Nining told The Jakarta Post.

She said the subdistrict poll committee members had to be
available at the secretariat to coordinate with the members of
the 165 polling stations.

Each subdistrict election committee has six members -- one
chairperson, two members, one secretary, one treasurer and
another in charge of accommodation. The last three are civil
servants at the designated subdistrict.

They must coordinate with polling stations in the subdistrict.
Each polling station has one chairman, six members, and two
security guards.

A similar situation was also seen at a secretariat of South
Sukabumi subdistrict election committee in West Jakarta.

"We hope our final check of all logistics will finish tomorrow
(on Saturday). We plan to seal all ballot boxes then," said
committee chairman Husen Supratman, adding that committee members
had to stay at the secretariat until 11 p.m. these days.

He said the election logistical materials would be distributed
to polling stations on Sunday.

With a total of 26,522 eligible voters in the subdistrict, the
committee will erect 99 polling stations.

Nining and Husen said subdistrict poll committees members had
been employed by the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD)
since September 2003 and their job would finish in December.

They said each subdistrict election committee chairman in
Jakarta received Rp 600,0000 (US$67.42) per month -- Rp 500,000
from the city budget and Rp 100,000 from the state budget.
Committee members received Rp 560,000.

Husen said the committee had no operational fund to prepare
for the election. Therefore, he had to borrow money from the
subdistrict office for its activities, including photocopying
various documents.

Husen, who is a retired civil servant, said his allowance was
only enough to cover his daily duties as committee chairman.

However, he claimed he did not care about the amount. "We are
happy if the election in the subdistrict goes smoothly."