T

he Bantaeng General Elections Commission (KPUD) in South Sulawesi will conduct an e-voting simulation on Wednesday during the regental election.

Forty-two of the 361 polling stations in Bantaeng will take part in the e-voting simulation.

Bantaeng KPUD chief Nurbaeti said votes in the e-voting simulation would be neither counted nor publicized.

'€œThe outcome will serve as a recommendation for the House of Representatives in drafting the election bill, which is still being formulated,'€ she said.

She added that the Bantaeng KPUD had floated the idea of using the e-voting system in the regental election in 2011, but the KPU had rejected it on the grounds of the absence of a regulation.

'€œConstitutional Court decision No. 147/2009 stipulates the use of e-voting in regional leadership elections, but the KPU does not have such a regulation because the election bill has yet to be approved,'€ said Nurbaeti.

The Bantaeng regental election will be contested by four candidates and their running mates, namely incumbent Regent Nurdin Abdullah and Deputy Regent Muhammad Yasin; Jabar Nur and Mansyur Djonkeng; Nur Jaya and Idrus Hamjal; and police Comr. (ret.) Rahmat Rahman and Imran Massuale. They will vie for 136,449 votes.

Meanwhile, Sinjai regency is also holding its regental election on Wednesday, with nine tickets running. There are four independent candidates, namely Andi Jefrianto Asapa and Hermansyah; Mukhlis Isma and Musa Rasyid; Lukman Arsal and A. Djamaluddin; and Amru Rijal Djunaid and Zainuddin Fatbang.

The five other tickets '€” Andi Mahyanto Massarappi and Andi Massalinri Latief; Muh Hasan Basri Ambarala and Andi Sultani; Andi Seto Gadhista Asapa and A. Muhtar Mappatoba; Sabirin Yahya and Fajar Yanwar; and Syamsul Qamar and Sitti Marwah Djufri '€” were nominated by political parties and will vie for 182,321 votes.

The South and West Sulawesi police have deployed 600 and 900 personnel in Bantaeng and Sinjai, respectively, with 200 soldiers as reinforcements.

'€œSome 1,500 police personnel, backed by the military, have been deployed in both regencies. We have also coordinated with local leadership consultative forums and candidates to keep their supporters under control and to maintain peace and efficiency during the elections,'€ said South and West Sulawesi police spokesman Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi.

Eight other regencies and mayoralties in South Sulawesi will hold regional leadership elections this year. Four of them have brought their election schedule forward due to the legislative and presidential elections in 2014. They are Makassar city and Enrekang, Luwu and Wajo regencies.

'€œThey will hold their respective elections in advance because no other elections should be held in 2014, except for the legislative and presidential elections. However, the inaugurations will be carried out after the current regional leaders complete their terms,'€ said South Sulawesi KPUD head Jayadi Nas.

The four mayoral and regental elections will be held in September this year, concurrently with Jeneponto and Sidengreng Rappang regencies, while Pinrang regency and Parepare municipality will hold their elections in August.