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Regional elections kick off amid concerns of money politics and security issues
Cast your ballot: An officer of the General Elections Commission prepares ballots and ballot boxes in Maluku to be distributed throughout the province
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span class="inline inline-center">Cast your ballot: An officer of the General Elections Commission prepares ballots and ballot boxes in Maluku to be distributed throughout the province. (Kompas.com)
The General Elections Commission opened the simultaneous regional elections across the country on Wednesday amid reports of money politics and security issues.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan said he was optimistic the elections would not create serious disturbances to public safety, although he pointed out the potential for instability in certain regions.
'There are at least eight regions vulnerable to conflict, such as North Sumatra, Jambi, West Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi North Maluku, Papua and West Papua,' Luhut said as quoted by Tempo.co, adding that the government had deployed security officers to safeguard the elections.
The simultaneous elections, being held in 269 of the nation's regions, will replace or reelect leaders whose term finishes at the end of this year or the first semester of 2016. A second round of polls will be held in February 2017 to replace or reelect those whose term finishes in the second semester of 2016 or the end of 2017.
Political observer from the University of Indonesia Reni Siwarso said that money politics and vote manipulation were the greatest threats to the regional elections. Money politics could be practiced in a more subtle and undetectable method than previously, Reni added as reported by Tempo.co.
'Incumbents engage in money politics in the form of providing gifts,' Reni said at an event called 'Rock The Vote Indonesia' held by the Elections Supervisory Agency at the University of Indonesia recently.
According to Reni, money politics could be practiced by disbursing assistance funds just before the regional heads elections. Reni added that for the sake of practicality, incumbents were more likely to give money directly to people than distribute staple foods in an attempt to sway voters.
Today's polls mark the first simultaneous regional elections ever held in the nation. (dan)
