D

ue to the strict implementation of the elections law, thousands of nomadic Kubu tribespeople in Jambi province will miss out on the April 9 polls.

The Indonesian Conservation Community (KKI) NGO reported the indigenous people had been excluded from the final voter lists (DPT), and thus had been deprived of their right to vote.

KKI Warsi Jambi program manager Rudi Syaf said recently the provincial elections commission (KPUD) had only registered Kubu people living in residential areas, while most tribespeople moved around from one place to another.

"They are nomadic people, so most of them live in the forests. They have no personal identification numbers to make them eligible for the voter lists, so they've never participated in previous elections," Rudi said.

He added about 1,300 Kubu people live in the Bukit Duabelas National Park, 1,700 along the Sumatra highway route, and 520 in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. Of the total of 3,530 tribespeople, about 60 percent are of eligible voting age.

"Most of the Kubu people have lost their right to vote in the upcoming elections," Rudi said.

KPUD official Nuraida Fitri Habi admitted her office could not identify those who still followed a nomadic lifestyle.

"We conducted our voter registration based on the population identification number displayed in identity cards," she said.

"Unfortunately, the Kubu people have no such cards. We always do our job according to existing regulations."

But she added the KPUD would try to include them in the DPT for the presidential election in July.

However, Rudi insisted the KPUD seek other ways to include them in the DPT, by holding a dialogue with their Temenggung (Kubu clan chiefs) or with their Jenang (Kubu tribal representatives in nearby villages).

"By doing so, the KPUD can register the eligible Kubu voters. But they didn't do that," he said.

Despite their exclusion from the DPT, many political parties, such as the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), Golkar, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National People's Concern Party (PPRN), and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) have rallied in their support by donating staple foods and T-shirts.

Dasril Radjab, a political analyst from Jambi University's School of Law, blamed the KPUD for its negligence in registering voters.

"The KPUD should realize all Indonesians are entitled to vote in the elections. The Kubu are also Indonesian citizens because they live here," he said.

"Those living abroad have been registered in the DPT, so why not the Kubu people? The KPUD should be more accommodating on such an issue."