T

he state has ignored the political rights of thousands of Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKI) by not preparing a viable system for them to cast their votes in the simultaneous regional leadership elections, says an expert.

 '€œThe government will violate the civil and political rights of TKIs overseas should it fail to facilitate them to participate in the leadership elections in their respective regions,'€ population expert and researcher at the Yogyakarta'€™s Gadjah Mada University'€™s Population and Policy Study Center Muhadjir Darwin told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Based on Government Regulation in lieu of Law No. 1/2014 on simultaneous gubernatorial, regency and mayoral elections, the regional leadership elections will begin in December this year.

Muhadjir said the TKIs had the right to elect their leaders in their places of origin as their families and properties are still located there. The TKIs would also return to their places of origin so it is of great interest to them to choose their regional leaders.

'€œIn the legislative and presidential elections, held nationwide, TKIs can cast their votes, but why can'€™t they take part in the locally held regional leadership elections?'€ he asked.

He pointed out that the right to vote, including voting for regional leaders, is the political right of every Indonesian citizen, guaranteed by the Constitution.

 Muhadjir said the TKIs spur economic growth as they send remittances to their native regions.

'€œThe Indonesian embassies overseas should facilitate the elections because one of their functions is to protect the rights of citizens overseas,'€ he added.

Muhadjir said the government should have considered the issue, keeping in mind people'€™s higher mobility in the modern era.

Based on the website of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, in 2014 as many as 429,872 Indonesians went to work in various countries, such as Malaysia, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, and sent home around Rp 107 trillion (US$8 billion) in remittances.

In 2014, as many as 3,808 people from Yogyakarta alone became TKIs and sent home up to Rp 121 billion in remittances.

Yogyakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) head Farid Bambang Siswantara acknowledged that the TKIs could not cast their votes in the regional leadership elections from overseas.

The government has yet to prepare a system so they could take part in the elections.

Farid added the number of eligible voters overseas would be smaller than those who take part in the legislative and presidential elections and that the regional leadership election process would also be costly and the system complicated. Based on experience in the legislative and presidential elections in 2014, the voter turnout rate overseas was low.

'€œHowever, if the government prepares the system, we, as organizers, are ready to carry it out,'€ said Farid.

In December this year, in the initial stage, 204 regions across the archipelago will organize for regional leadership elections simultaneously. They consist of eight provinces, 170 regencies and 26 municipalities.