Bali prepares for mayoral elections

Bali is gearing up to hold elections in five regions simultaneously on Tuesday, with police stepping up security and the provincial administration declaring a public holiday.

The elections will be held in Denpasar, Badung, Tabanan, Bangli and Karangasem.

Denpasar Police chief Sr. Comr. Alit Widana said Saturday that 1,050 officers would be deployed to provide security at polling stations across Denpasar and Badung.

“One day before the election, our officers will stand by at the polling stations,” Alit said.
He said police were also guarding the distribution of ballots and voter rolls.

Alit added that the police would step up security at 50 polling stations considered to be vulnerable to threats, due to high crime rates and community problems.

“We will conduct extra measures in these 50 stations,” he said, adding that there were no signs so far of any security threats.

Alit said police would also be on the lookout for negative campaigning and vote buying. “We will take action against violators,” he said.

Bali election commission head Sukawati Lanang Perbawa said all preparations for the elections had been conducted properly. Of the five regencies, he said, Tabanan needed extra security because the regency was prone to conflict between supporters of the candidates.

“Based on preliminary information, the Tabanan polls could be prone to conflict. We hope that everything will run smoothly,” Lanang said.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika declared election day a public holiday in accordance with gubernatorial regulations. However, the holiday will not affect elementary school students sitting their final exams.

“The holiday applies to those working in government, state enterprise and private company employees as well as school and university students. Elementary school students will be exempt as well as those involved in the exams,” the governor said in a statement.

Denpasar municipality spokesman I Made Erwin Suryadarma called on residents to come to polling stations dressed in traditional attire.

Companies, including hotels, restaurants and shopping centers, are allowed to have their employees working on the day, but should give time for the workers to exercise their political rights, he said.

“We have had elections before and there’s never been a problem. I expect the manager at hotels, restaurants and shopping centers to have arranged working schedules for their employees.”

Denpasar election commission head I Made Gde Ray Misno said he expected a greater voter turnout in the election as the day had been declared a holiday. However, he estimated that 30 percent of the 405,839 registered voters would not exercise their rights.

The commission has set up 807 polling stations including for patients in Sanglah and Wangaya Hospital. In each polling station, the commission provides a special booth for blind voters.