The committee's personnel could not provide them with a sufficient number of ballot papers to enable them to cast their votes on the polling day, scheduled for February 11, PPLN-Tunis Head Ardi Pramana stated.
Pramana told ANTARA on Wednesday that the PPLN-Tunis had only received 176 ballot papers and four or five reserve ballot papers from the General Elections Commission (KPU).
The ballot papers were sent to meet the voting rights of 176 voters whose names had been available on the Final Voter List (DPT) issued by the KPU in June 2023, he remarked.
The number of students arriving in September 2023 and several Indonesians getting married to Tunisians and still unregistered in the DPT had led to an increase in the actual number of eligible voters in Tunisia, from 176 to some 300.
Indeed, prior to their arrivals in Tunisia, the students had been registered in the DPT and had even requested to move polling stations.
However, the limited availability of ballot papers has likely made them unable to cast their votes either through postal service or voting booths, he remarked.
The PPLN-Tunis reported that 172 of the 176 registered voters would go to the polling station in Tunis, while four others would use postal service, he said, adding that the vote counting would be held on February 14.
ANTARA reported earlier that around 1,750,474 voters living abroad will cast their votes during the 2024 General Elections, according to the KPU.
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 had 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 round was held on January 21, and the fifth round will take place on February 4.
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 Nasional Demokrat Party (NasDem), National Awakening Party (PKB), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and Ummat Party.
Meanwhile, Subianto and Raka have the backing of 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 (PPP), Perindo Party, and Hanura Party.
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Translator: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
