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Campaigns leave tons of sign waste
Throughout Jakarta, piles of campaign signs, including flags, banners, posters and billboards of various sizes, were dumped in front of district and subdistrict offices. 264,000 campaign signs could have been collected throughout the capital.
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Public order officials take down a campaign banner promoting a legislative candidate in Menteng, Jakarta, on Sunday. All campaign materials across the country are being taken down during a cooling-off period that starts on Sunday. (The Jakarta Post/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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pril 14 marked the end of the campaign period and the beginning of the cooling-off phase prior to voting day on April 17. As early as 12 a.m. on Sunday, state officials across the country started removing campaign signs from public places. Throughout Jakarta, piles of campaign signs, including flags, banners, posters and billboards of various sizes, were dumped in front of district and subdistrict offices.
In Sawah Besar district, Central Jakarta, officers from the Public Order Agency, Public Facility Maintenance Agency and other state officials had by Sunday afternoon collected more than 6,000 campaign signs. Since Jakarta has 44 districts, 264,000 campaign signs could have been collected throughout the capital.
The clean-up measures were conducted on Sunday from midnight until the afternoon.
Amid a heap of campaign sign waste in front of the Sawah Besar district headquarters, Sinta Jaya and his neighbor were busy sorting, seizing the opportunity to collect the bamboo sticks used to erect the signs for their domestic needs.
“We are taking these bamboo sticks to make clothes hangers in our house. We’re helping the government and saving the environment, aren’t we?” he said as he tied five bamboo sticks together with a rope.
Sawah Besar Public Order Agency head Sugiarso said that every district across the city had undertaken the same measures as mandated by Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) Regulation No. 175/2018.
Similar teams from all five subdistricts within Sawah Besar were clearing the alleys and residential areas. “Later on, my team and I will count all of the signs we have collected and I have to make a written report to be submitted to the Jakarta Elections Supervisory Agency [Bawaslu],” he said.
