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TNI to help distribute ballot papers
As the General Elections Commission (KPU) struggles to address poll material hitches, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has come to the rescue
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As the General Elections Commission (KPU) struggles to address poll material hitches, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has come to the rescue.
TNI agreed Monday to help deliver poll materials to the country’s most isolated districts before voting day to ensure the legislative elections run simultaneously on April 9.
“The agreement would only apply to remote districts having poor transportation access such as in West Papua province,” TNI Chief Gen. Djoko Santoso said after signing a memorandum of understanding on distribution of logistics with KPU Chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary.
Under the agreement, TNI will deliver ballot papers to 219 polling stations located in 44 districts
in the West Papua regencies of South Sorong, Manokwari, Raja Ampat, Wondama Bay, Fak-fak and Bintuni Bay.
The expense of the delivery will be covered by the state budget allocated for the KPU, but Hafiz declined to reveal the amount.
Asked about the TNI’s outstanding loan to cover logistical distribution in the 2004 elections, Djoko said it had been settled.
The 2008 elections law requires all election materials to arrive at polling stations one day before the elections.
The KPU regulation stipulates that the materials should reach its regency offices 21 days before
legislative elections, or March 19, at the latest.
The polls body however could not meet its own deadline, blaming the failure on the printing companies.
The KPU printed about 700 million ballot papers for the legislative elections, distribution of the papers to regencies is the responsibility of the printing companies.
The local polls bodies (KPUDs) are responsible for distribution of poll materials from regencies to districts and polling stations.
Anshary said the KPU had difficulties in sending logistics to the six districts because of geographical problems.
“We hope with the cooperation, the distribution, could run smoothly so that no polling stations fail to receive ballots on April 9,” Hafiz said.
He said that the ballots distribution to other provinces including to Papua, Maluku and Aceh remain on the schedule.
Legislative elections will be held in April 9 with some 12,000 legislative candidates from 38 parties to compete for 560 seats in the House of Representatives.
Thousands of the candidates will also run for provincial and regental legislative seats as well as positions on the Regional Representatives Council (DPD).
The KPU has yet to replace papers which arrived damaged in some areas.
The polls body is also still calculating the actual need for ballots after it registered an additional 200,000 voters.
Earlier in the day, poll watchdogs rallied outside the KPU building to demand it improve its performance in preparing for the elections.
