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KPU urged to fix voter list issues
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All ready: An officer at the General Elections Commission (KPU) prepares data monitors to be used in the 2017 simultaneous regional elections on Feb.15. (Antara/File)
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s the runoff of the Jakarta gubernatorial election draws closer, the Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) has warned the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) to immediately fix the final voter list (DPT) to ensure all Jakartans can exercise their voting rights.
The council made the call in light of the many problems that plagued the first round of the Jakarta election on Feb. 15. Hundreds of thousands of Jakartans reportedly failed to vote, either because their names were not registered on the DPT, or because they did not have recommendation letters from the Civil Registry and Demography Agency (Disdukcapil) that can be used by unregistered voters to vote.
(Read also: Jakarta voter list to be increased ahead of second round)
Most of the people blamed the KPU Jakarta for the failures, saying the commission was unprofessional.
“The KPU must fix all administrative problems, particularly the DPT, to avoid technical problems, given that the election has led to rising tension among Jakarta residents," DKPP chairman Jimly Asshiddiqie said after a discussion at the House of Representatives on Monday.
Citing an example, Jimly said that on voting day, he went to the Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta, a facility that houses around 3,800 inmates, 90 percent of whom hold Jakarta identification cards (KTP). However, only 379 inmates were able to cast their vote as the remainder were stymied by administrative troubles.
Jimly believes that fixing the DPT would increase voting participation, which he said was still low in the first round.
“The voter turnout target in this year’s simultaneous regional elections was 77.5 percent, but we reached only 74 percent. We hope Jakarta can be a pilot project to boost voter participation,” Jimly said. (ebf)
