Indonesian Ambassador to Russia and Belarus Jose Tavares said the public awareness campaigns on the elections were carried out through various public events, gatherings, and several social media platforms.
Regarding the program to raise awareness, Ambassador Tavares noted that meetings with the Indonesian citizens had taken place in several cities in Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Tomsk.
The public awareness campaigns on the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections were also carried out through the PPLN-Moscow's official Instagram and Telegram accounts, he added.
"We continue to encourage our people in Russia and Belarus to use their voting rights. Many questions are raised about the elections, and we see good response to the fiesta of democracy," he told ANTARA on Friday (January 12).
A total of 1,170 voters will cast their votes in Russia and Belarus. Most of them are migrant workers and university students, Tavares remarked.
As compared to those in other European countries, the number of voters in Russia and Belarus is relatively small. Despite the small figure, the voters in Russia and Belarus would enthusiastically cast their votes, the ambassador stated.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) decided on July 2, 2023, that around 1,750,474 voters living abroad will cast their votes during the 2024 General Elections.
They will be served by 128 PPLNs and will cast their votes at 828 polling stations through 1,580 mobile voting boxes and 651 postal services.
The KPU also announced that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously across Indonesia on February 14.
The commission has officially set a 75-day election campaign period for the three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates from November 28, 2023, to February 10, 2024.
All participating political parties and presidential contenders have pledged to conduct peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections.
As part of its efforts to make voters aware of the three candidate pairs' political pledges, the commission has decided to organize five rounds of debates ahead of the presidential election.
The first and second rounds were held on December 12 and December 22, 2023. The third round took place on January 7, 2024, while the fourth and fifth rounds will be held on January 21 and February 4, respectively.
The three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates contesting the presidential election are Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD.
Baswedan and Iskandar have been nominated with the support of the NasDem Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and Ummat Party.
Meanwhile, Subianto and Raka have the backing of the Gerindra Party and a coalition of parties, including Golkar, National Mandate Party (PAN), Democratic Party, and Gelora Party.
Pranowo and Mahfud have the support of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), United Development Party, Perindo Party, and Hanura Party.
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Translator: Asri MS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
