W. Java election to be guarded by 33,000 personnel

The police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) will deploy 33,000 personnel to safeguard the West Java gubernatorial election, scheduled for February next year, West Java Police chief Brig. Gen. Tubagus Anis Angkawijaya said on Thursday.

The police would initially deploy 11,000 officers to attend the announcement of the candidates on Dec. 18, he said.

“[Then] all 33,000 personnel will be deployed, beginning from the 14-day campaign period on Feb. 7 – Feb. 20,” Tubagus said.

The operation will last for 250 days until the inauguration of the new governor in August, he added.

Five pairs of hopefuls have submitted their candidacies to the West Java General Elections Commission (KPUD). They are:

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Rieke Diah Pitaloka — Antigraft activist Teten Masduki

Incumbent Deputy Governor Yusuf Macan “Dede Yusuf” Effendi — Lex Laksamana

Incumbent Governor Ahmad “Aher” Heryawan — Deddy Mizwar

Golkar Party politician Irianto “Yance” MS Syaifuddin — Tatang Farhanul Hakim

Independent candidate Dikdik Mulyana Arif Mansur — Cecep Nana Suryana Toyib.

West Java, with more than 43 million residents, is the most populous and densely populated province in the country. It is also home to a number of strategic industrial areas, where hundreds of multinational manufacturers operate. (han)