Confirming the General Election Commissions announcement about elections being postponed in five regions, National Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti reported on Wednesday that the five regions that failed to take part in the elections are Central Kalimantan, Simalungun and Siantar in North Sumatra, Fakfak in West Papua, and Manado in North Sulawesi.
Consequently, the simultaneous regional elections on Wednesday were held in 264 regions.
"We want to report that preparations were in place to conduct simultaneous regional head elections, but these could not be conducted in five regions, namely Central Kalimantan, Simalungun, Siantar, Fakfak, and Manado (because of legal issues)," the national police chief said during a video conference.
Haiti noted that the overall security situation in the country ahead of the regional elections was safe and conducive, except for a minor incident in Keerom, Papua where a local resident, whose name did not figure in the permanent voter list, beat up the chairman of a Polling Station Working Committee (KPPS).
In the course of the video conference at the National Police Headquarters Crisis Center room, Haiti expressed the hope that the five regions left out for the time being would not remain without elections for long.
However, the Commission of General Election (KPU) has yet to decide when elections would be conducted there.
"We cannot say till when will the postponement last since the legal process is still ongoing," KPU spokesman Ferry Kurnia Kurnia said in South Tangerang on Wednesday.
Also, he said he was not in a position to confirm whether the elections in the five regions would be conducted simultaneously or separately, because that would depend on the legal ruling.
According to him, the General Election Commission should not intervene in the judicial process, but he did opine that the legal process was intended to ensure that elections are conducted in a proper fashion.
"The implementation of elections in the five regions will depend on the legal ruling. If these are not conducted simultaneously, it will be (a) difficult (situation)," Kurnia noted.
He explained that the Commission had decided to postpone the elections in the province of Central Kalimantan and Fak-Fak district because the State Administrative High Court had not given any final decision.
According to him, the elections in the Districts of Siantar, Simalungun and Manado were delayed because of an interim decision of the court.
"We are still waiting because it is an interim decision. The implementation of regional elections must await the final verdict in the court," he said.
He explained that the Commission will take legal action in the form of an appeal so that if there is no response from the Supreme Court, the Commission can follow up to keep the polling stations ready.
This was because, he said, certain logistical readiness was required, including distribution of election related material, deployment of human resources and honorarium of election officials.
"All these requirements must be fulfilled in order to conduct the elections in a comprehensive manner," he said.
In the meantime, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said in Tangerang on Wednesday that he respected the legal process that had led to the elections in the five regions being delayed.
Kumolo stated that the delay was because of the legal process and not due to any fault on the part of General Election Commission (KPU) that had made all preparations.
While an election delay can be addressed in 21 days, the home affairs minister said the needful will be done within 14 days.
The home affairs minister was in Tangerang on Wednesday to monitor the implementation of simultaneous regional head elections at Polling Station No. 17 in Alam Sutera, Serpong Sub-district.
Kumolo stated that South Tangerang district was prone to radicalism, prompting him to visit the area to monitor the implementation of the regional head election.
"I have come to South Tangerang to monitor the process of regional election because the area is prone to radicalism," the minister noted.
He asked the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the National Defense Forces (TNI) to detect any problem as soon as possible, and work with the local religious leaders to anticipate any sign of radicalism, which may interfere with the election.
"The government has declared December 9 a national holiday. We hope that people exercise their voting rights," Kumolo said.
Incumbent Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany, now running for re-election for a second term, cast her ballot.
Three pairs of candidates are contesting in the mayoral elections in South Tangerang.
From Tangerang, Kumolo proceeded to Solo and Semarang, Central Java, his hometown.
A number of eligible voters on Wednesday morning were seen visiting the polling stations to cast their ballots in Indonesias first-ever simultaneous regional head elections being held in 264 regions.(*)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
