Woman outwits police, turns poll simulation into comedy

Woman outwits police, turns poll simulation into comedy

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A poll simulation held by the Jakarta Police in front of their
headquarters on Wednesday to test their security preparedness for
the upcoming elections degenerated into a farce when a lone woman
managed to disturb the proceedings, much to the consternation of
the surrounding officers.

The poll simulation was meant to prepare officers for possible
disturbances that could arise during the polling, with a
policewoman reading out different scenarios for the officers to
play out.

However, the situation began to deteriorate when an
unidentified woman, who initially was watching the event with a
crowd of people several meters away, joined a group of policemen
playing voters waiting to enter the mock polling station.

Clearly caught off guard by this unexpected disruption, none
of the officers were able to stop the woman from joining their
simulation.

When the scenario required people to begin shouting to disturb
the voting process, the woman enthusiastically joined in, raising
her right arm, yelling incoherently and running toward the
"election committee members".

The woman, along with a policeman who appointed to take part
in the simulation as a protester, was eventually dragged from the
area by two policemen, who each took one of the woman's arms.

A police patrol car then arrived to take away the "protester".
However, when the officers attempted to get the woman into the
car, her hearty cries convinced them to allow her to stay.

The poll simulation proceeded peacefully for several minutes
before the woman snuck back into the area, took a seat in the
mock polling station and began blowing kisses to the audience,
which was much amused by these antics.

When the poll guards carried the ballot boxes away from the
polling station, the woman grabbed one of the boxes and began
playing the role of a guard. By this time, the officers had given
up and allowed the woman to carry the box.

The woman claimed that her husband was a member of the Jakarta
Police's elite Mobile Brigade, but she was unable to remember his
full name or his division.

Once the simulation was over, the woman, apparently satisfied
that she had done her part to help the police prepare for any
possible disturbances during the upcoming polls, went on her way.