SBY asks voters to check registration for 2009 polls

Desy Nurhayati , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 09/04/2008 10:15 AM | Headlines

Concerned about possible low voter turnout in the 2009 legislative elections, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on eligible voters to check whether they are registered for the polls.

The President's request came after several surveys found a large discrepancy between the numbers of estimated and registered voters across the country.

A recent survey conducted by the LP3ES and the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute revealed about 36 million citizens of voting age remained unregistered. Poor administration and lack of public information about registration were blamed for the high number of voters missing from the list.

"I ask all eligible voters to visit subdistrict offices to make sure your name has been included on the list," Yudhoyono said during a press briefing at the presidential office.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has allowed local election committees until Sept. 8 to register additional voters. This was the second rescheduling by the KPU, the first when it extended the due date from Aug. 21 to Aug. 27.

The KPU is currently updating the provisional data on voters (DPS) based on Home Ministry data on eligible voters. The DPS will then be sent to the nation's regional elections commissions.

"I understand the KPU has been working hard to ensure the accuracy of the DPS, but as the state leader I call on every citizen to make the 2009 election a success. This is an important event in our democracy," Yudhoyono said.

"Those who have the right to vote should exercise it, so that the elected legislators, president and vice president really are the choices of the people."

Despite pushing back the deadline for data improvement by almost three weeks, the KPU will not change the rest of the election schedule. This will give regional elections commissions only two days to submit the DPS to the KPU.

The KPU is scheduled to announce the final list of eligible voters between Oct. 1 and Oct. 10. The poll body has estimated the number of eligible voters at 174 million, with voter turnout expected to reach 70 percent.

The KPU will allow for additional voters to register for the legislative elections until April 6, 2009, or three days before voting day.

Voters will elect 560 House of Representatives legislators, 132 Regional Representatives Council members and thousands of provincial, municipal and regency legislative council members.

The KPU has verified more than 14,000 legislative candidates vying for the seats.