E-voting could be applied in major islands like Java, but doing so in remote areas would be very difficult.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A legislator of the Gerindra Party, Bambang Riyanto, has questioned Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolos idea of using e-voting system in the general elections in 2019.
"The idea (on e-voting) is good. But I doubt if it would be possible to apply e-voting mechanism in every Indonesian province in 2019," Riyanto said here, Friday.
E-voting could be applied in major islands like Java, but doing so in remote areas would be very difficult, he said.
"Its not easy for every region to have access to e-voting technology. At present, some remote areas do not even have access to electricity. For example, what will happen to Papua which is using a noken system?" he noted.
He said the government should make sure that every region in Indonesia first gains access to such sophisticated technology before going ahead with the decision to apply e-voting mechanism.
Alternatively, the e-voting system would have to be applied only in certain regions, he said.
"Its okay if it is done on trial basis. But is it possible to apply it in every province? If its possible, then it is not a problem," he remarked.
Minister Kumolo said there was a plan to use e-voting system in the 2019 general elections.
"The e-voting system is expected to be used in the general elections in 2019, and we have tried to start applying it," the minister said in Surabaya, on Oct. 6.
As part of the trial, three or four provinces are expected to go in for e-voting in the regional head elections (pilkada) in 2017.
"The trial will be conducted in the pilkada in the next two years. If it is successful and everything goes smoothly, the general elections in 2019 will use the e-voting system," Kumolo, former secretary general of the PDIP, said.
In order to implement e-voting, every city and every district must complete the process of issuance of E-ID cards for every citizen, he noted.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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