Sutiyoso helps enlist voters

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso has ordered chiefs of neighborhood units (RT) and community units (RW) to actively take part in the registration of eligible voters for the upcoming presidential election on July 5.

Sutiyoso said at City Hall on Tuesday that he gave the order after receiving reports from the General Elections Commission (KPU) that at least 1.4 million Jakartans failed to cast their votes in the April 5 legislative election as they were not registered as eligible voters. The registration was carried out by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).

Of the capital's approximately 8.3 million residents, 6.4 million are eligible to vote in a general election. However, those who remain unregistered and those who will be 17 years old by July 5 are encouraged to register themselves via RT and RW chiefs.

"The greater the number of residents that cast their votes, the more valid the elections should be," Sutiyoso said, adding that the administration would help the Jakarta KPU in the registration process.

Earlier on Monday, councillor Maringan Pangaribuan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) blamed his party's defeat in the legislative election in Jakarta partly on speculation that most residents who did not cast a vote would have voted for the PDI-P.

Therefore, he requested Sutiyoso to assist in the registration process for the upcoming presidential election. He was speaking after his party's faction at the City Council accepted the governor's accountability speech.

The PDI-P, which previously dominated the council with 30 seats, won 11 seats and 610,653 votes, below the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 18 seats and the Democratic Party with 16 seats.

PDI-P executives have repeatedly blamed Sutiyoso's unpopular policies, particularly forcible eviction, as contributing to the party's sharp decline in the election.

Sutiyoso denied that his order was made under pressure from the PDI-P.

"Unregistered voters would not necessarily have cast their votes for the PDI-P. It's a matter of political choice," he said.