The Riau Regional General Election Commission (KPUD) has decided to conduct the gubernatorial election on Monday as planned despite prolonged flooding across five districts in the province.
"According to regulations, we are allowed to adjourn the election, but it will cost more. So we're sticking to the schedule," head of KPUD's election working committee Makmur Hendrik told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
KPUD has met with the Riau Election Supervision Committee and the three gubernatorial candidates' campaign teams to discuss preparations for the flood, Makmur said.
The parties agreed on two solutions: Relocating flooded polling stations to dry areas and establishing mobile polling stations, he added.
"The options were agreed upon to give all voters the chance to cast their ballots. The weather has not returned to normal yet as floods are still affecting Pekanbaru and Rokan Hilir."
According to Makmur, the election commissions in the flooded districts are at liberty to decide whether to remove polling stations or set up mobile units.
Two districts in Pekanburu province -- Rumbai and Limapuluh -- with an estimated 11,000 to 15,000 voters expected at 28 polling stations are still inundated.
Floods have also affected 31 polling stations serving between 7,000 and 10,000 voters in three districts: Pujud, Rantau Kopar and Tanah Putih, all in the Rokan Hilir regency.
Rokan Hilir election commission chairman Azhar Syakban said he hoped the floods would soon recede, allowing the election to proceed normally.
"If we look at current weather conditions, it's not possible for the floods to recede by election day. The water level in Rokan River is expected to remain high until next month," Azhar added.
The election commission in his area chose to provide mobile polling stations as floods had affected a large proportion of the regency, he said, adding election officers would use boats to reach voters.
"We will use floating polling stations. We will not relocate the stations to drier areas as they are too far from voters' homes."
Thirteen boats have been prepared by the commission to transport ballot boxes and election officers to voters, Azhar explained.
The first direct gubernatorial election in the regency will be contested by three candidates: Chaidir and his running mate Suryani Khusaini; the incumbent Rusli Zainal and his running mate Mambang Mit; and Thamsir Rahman and his running mate Taufan Andodo Yakin.
Chaidir-Suryani were nominated by a coalition consisting of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Crescent Star Party, the Patriot Party and the National Ulema Awakening Party.
Rusli-Mambang were nominated by the Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Reformed Star Party (PBR) and the United Development Party (PPP) while Thamsir-Taufan are supported by the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Democratic Party (PD), the Labor Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and 12 other small parties.
Environmentalists earlier called on citizens not to vote for any of the candidates, saying none of them included environmental conservation programs in their vision statements and missions.
The activists criticized the candidates for ignoring issues such as flooding and illegal logging, considered acute problems in the regency.
