Minggu, 06 April 2014

MILITARY, POLICE READY TO SECURE 2014 GENERAL ELECTIONS

 By Andi Abdussalam  
          Jakarta, April 6 (Antara) - The Indonesian authorities will deploy about 280 thousand military and police personnel plus over one million community protection  officers across the country to secure next Wednesday's legislative elections.
         The national police has already prepared 253,035 personnel for ensuring security of the five-yearly event at provincial and district levels. There are 31 provincial police commands in the country, 11 of them led by inspectors general and 20 other by brigadiers general.
         The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) in the meantime will field about 30 thousand soldiers to help police personnel maintain security and order.
         TNI Commander General Moeldoko said on Friday the military had prepared 30 thousand personnel to secure the general elections that would be held on April 9 to elect legislators and July 9 to elect a president this year.
         "We have prepared about 30 thousand soldiers. However, there will be some soldiers who will stand by in the base," Moeldoko said on Friday. According to the general, the Indonesian Military has instructed the soldiers to prepare for securing the general elections since April 4, 2014, until an unspecified time.

 
         The status of the security effort by the TNI for the general elections will depend on the coordination with the Indonesian Police. "The TNI will assist in the security effort if the police force asked the military to secure the event," Moeldoko said.
         Political parties which will contest in the April 9 legislative elections, ended their 21-day campaign period on Saturday and entered the cooling-off period for three-days beginning on Sunday.
         As the cooling-off period began on Sunday, Indonesian Army Chief General Budiman checked security conditions throughout the country.
        "We check the security conditions throughout the country through teleconference with regional military commands in an effort to assist the General Elections Commission (KPU) in carrying out free, fair, just, smooth and secure elections," Gen Budiman said at the Army's Headquarters in Jakarta on Sunday.
         During the teleconference, all of the country's regional military commands' chiefs explained the security conditions in their respective regions. In general, the security conditions are conducive for next Wednesday's legislative elections.
         However, it was reported that there were escalations and heating up of security conditions in certain regions such as in Aceh.
         Based on the report of Iskandar Muda Military Commander of Aceh, Maj. Gen. Pandu Wibowo, there are issues on efforts to disintegrate the nation as pointed out by a local political party when staging campaigns.
         During the teleconference on Sunday, the chief of Pattimura Military Command XVI overseeing Maluku province, Major General Eko Wiratmoko, reported that in his region there was a threat from certain group of voters who would join the 'Golput', or those who would abstain and stay home on election day.
         For this, General Eko Wiratmoko said his side had coordinated with the Maluku Police to anticipate the matter by taking persuasive approaches.
         The other report during the teleconference came from Papua province. Commander of Cenderawsih Regional Military XVII Major General Christian Zebua reported that there were issues on the plan of certain people to boycott the elections.
         But the issue could later be settled as the person who issued the boycott call had a brother who had been nominated as legislative candidate.
         He also reported the incident when a group of people hoisted the separatist bintang kerjora (morning star) flag but actions against the incident had been taken to lower the flag and the perpetrators had fled to Papua New Guinea.
         With regard to these conditions, Army Chief General Budiman asked all layers of the Army to remain alert and assure secured conditions ahead and after the elections.
         Army Chief General Budiman admitted that political conditions used to heat up in the face of elections but after people gave their votes, the conditions usually calmed down again.
        "In the 2004 and 2009 elections, political condition heated up before the legislative elections. It cooled down thereafter but slightly increased again ahead of the presidential elections," Budiaman said.
         However, he said, the heating up of the political conditions in the 2014 general elections is predicted not to be too high, yet all regional military commanders are asked to remain alert as  political condition is expected to peak on the legislative elections day on April 9, 2014.
         In the meantime, the Indonesian National Police will also deploy special task forces ahead of the legislative elections on April 9 to ensure security.
         "The police have already formed task forces at regional as well as district police commands to ensure security of the elections process," National Police's Director of General Crimes, Brigadier General Herry Prastowo, stated during a discussion at state RRI radio station on Thursday.
         He pointed out that the task forces will focus on regions considered vulnerable such as Aceh, Maluku, Papua, and Poso (Central Sulawesi). "So, we have already mapped out regions which are safe and vulnerable and taken anticipatory measures in line with the directives," he clarified.
         Citing an example, he pointed out that in Aceh, the police would involve its elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit in a special operation code-named "Mantap Brata".
          Herry said that a total of  1,091,556 community protection officers will also be involved in assuring the security of the elections.
          A total of 186,172,508 eligible voters, according to data from the General Elections Commission (KPU), will visit 545,778 polling stations across the country.
          They will vote for 560 legislative seats in the parliament.
          In anticipation of violations, he asserted that the police would also optimize the function of the General Elections Law Enforcement Center involving the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), the police and the prosecutor's office.
          "Our role is to examine and investigate cases categorized as crimes, which will be tackled by the police," he explained.***1***

(T.A014/S012)


(T.A014/A/A. Abdussalam/Suharto) 06-04-2014 20:1

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