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Distribution of supplies speeded up as elections near
The matriarchâs support: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputi (center) arrives at Hang Nadim Airport, Batam, Sunday, to support Soerya Respationo (right) in his gubernatorial election campaign
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The matriarchâs support: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputi (center) arrives at Hang Nadim Airport, Batam, Sunday, to support Soerya Respationo (right) in his gubernatorial election campaign. (JP/Fadli) (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputi (center) arrives at Hang Nadim Airport, Batam, Sunday, to support Soerya Respationo (right) in his gubernatorial election campaign. (JP/Fadli)
The matriarch's support: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputi (center) arrives at Hang Nadim Airport, Batam, Sunday, to support Soerya Respationo (right) in his gubernatorial election campaign. (JP/Fadli)
The distribution of ballot supplies for the regional elections (Pilkada) in archipelagic and mountainous regions throughout South Sulawesi has been advanced three days prior to the election scheduled for Dec. 9.
Two of the 11 regencies holding elections in South Sulawesi are Pangkajene Islands (Pangkep) and Selayar regencies. The regency situated in the mountainous area is North Luwu regency.
Pangkep regency comprises two districts ' Liukang Tangaya and Liukang Kalmas ' with 36 polling stations, 24 of which are found on the smaller islands.
The areas are only reachable by boat. During normal conditions, they can be reached in 38 hours by boat. However, it can take up to six days to reach the islands.
Pangkep General Elections Commission (KPUD) head Marzuki Kadir confirmed on Sunday that supply distribution for the two districts would begin on Tuesday using four boats.
'Both districts are located in areas that are quite far from the mainland. The districts are reachable in 38 hours at the quickest, and to arrive at the polling stations, the supplies must be carried by fishing boats,' he said.
'So, it takes five to six days. Consequently, we will start distributing election supplies on Dec. 1,' said Marzuki.
Selayar regency comprises five districts, located in different areas. It takes up to 18 hours to reach the areas.
Selayar KPUD head Hasiruddin said the distribution of election supplies to the five districts should have commenced on Nov. 30, but as of Sunday, the supplies remained inadequate and so the distribution process had been postponed.
'Hopefully, it can be carried out on Dec. 2, or Dec. 3 at the latest,' said Hasiruddin.
As many as 90 polling stations are located in the five districts, some of which are located quite far from district capitals. Taka Bonerate district, for example, can take up to six hours to reach.
North Luwu regency, located in a mountainous region, comprises Seko and Rampi districts. The areas are reachable by air and land but it takes quite a long time to do so due to their elevation and poor access.
North Luwu KPUD head Suprianto said on Sunday that election supplies would be distributed to the two districts on Dec. 4. The supplies are expected to arrive at the locations on the following day.
Ballot supplies will be transported by air to Rampi district, a district that comprises 19 polling stations.
The election process in Central Kalimantan might be disrupted as the provincial KPUD building, located on Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, Palangkaraya, was razed by fire on Sunday at around 3:30 a.m., local time.
Firefighters made strenuous efforts to douse out the fire. The cause of the fire remains unclear.
The incident took place two weeks before the elections on Dec. 9.
At the provincial level, the three candidate pairs vying for the 2015-2020 gubernatorial office are Ujang Iskandar and Jawawi, Willy Yosef and Wahyudi Anwar and Sugianto Sabran and Said Ismail.
Elsewhere, the election process has been marred by vote-buying practices believed to have been committed by regency candidate pair Saan Mustopa and Iman Sumantri on the first day of campaigning in Karawang regency, West Java, on Saturday.
The pair was nominated by the Democratic, NasDem, the Gerindra and Golkar parties.
Kompas.com reported that members of the candidate's campaign team had distributed Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 banknotes on the campaign stage in Karangpawitan Square in Karawang city.
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