The verification process was conducted to follow up the finance minister's letter, which has stipulated the exact amount of compensation to be paid based on the categories, the KPU commissioner, Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi, said here on Tuesday.
In fact, not all polling station working committee members fall under such categories of work accidents, such as death, permanent disability, serious injuries, and light injuries, he said, adding that the verification process involves credible related parties.
Tanthowi referred to the polling station working committee members who fall ill and are treated at hospitals or at home saying that they need to be placed in appropriate categories so that they are eligible for receiving compensation.
As of Tuesday morning, the KPU said the death toll of the working committee members at polling stations had reached 318, while 2,232 others fell ill while fulfilling their electoral duties.
A working committee member, Muridah, a resident of Peulokan Village in Labuhan Haji Barat Subdistrict, South Aceh District, Aceh Province, died of exhaustion due to the strain of overwork.
Similarly, the death of expectant mother Muridah has not just brought grief to her husband, family, and neighbors, but the passing of the Peulokan villager has also extended the death toll of the working committee members at polling stations.
According to the KPU, they lost their lives due to exhaustion or after meeting with traffic accidents amid their hectic work schedules. These people were in charge of different ballot booths across Indonesia's 25 provinces.
To add to these cases, no fewer than 33 Elections Supervisory Committee members and 15 policemen also lost their lives while tending to their electoral duties.
Vice Presidential candidate number 02 Sandiaga Uno expressed his deep concern over the deaths of so many working committee members at polling stations in different parts of Indonesia, amid the peaceful convening of the recent general elections.
Translator: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
