Jakarta, Feb 6 (Antara) - The National Police (Polri) has asked candidates, supporters and people of all walks of life to help secure the simultaneous regional head elections in 101 regions to be held across the country next week.
Polri hopes that all the supporters of candidate pairs and the people, in general, will maintain favorable conditions where voters can conveniently cast their votes without intimidation and pressures, so that the festival of democracy would run well and smoothly with good democratic values.
"We ask all contestants of the regional head elections, supporters and people to help create secure and peaceful conditions so that the people's democratic festivities would run well," Polri's Public Relations Division Head Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar said in Jakarta on Friday (Feb 3).
The national police also called on the people to not do anything that could trigger conflicts among the people, particularly among supporters of the contesting pairs, both before and after the polling day.
Favorable conditions are badly required before and after the voters cast their ballot papers, so that the ballot counting from the polling stations to the upper levels would be smooth without disruptions.
"We hope the regional head elections will proceed normally without any disturbance or conflict," Amar stated.
Regional head election, locally known as Pilkada, is an important event for regions to seek and elect their leaders. "Pilkada is the most strategic moment for regions to seek and elect their leaders," the Polri spokesman said.
Pilkada will be organized simultaneously in 101 regions, comprising of 7 provinces, 18 municipalities and 76 districts, on Feb 15, 2017.
In the campaign cooling-off period, the election contestants are also urged not to violate the provision set for the period, which lasts from Feb 12 to 14, and on Wednesday (Feb 15), voters are expected to flock to the polling booths to cast their votes.
According to the chief security minister, Wiranto, during the cooling-off phase, voters are expected to have time to contemplate on their choices of candidates. Thus, secure condition is needed, and contestants should not violate cooling-off regulations.
Police will act against those violating the provisions set for the cooling-off period ahead of the elections.
Wiranto, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs, said at the State Palace compound that police will act against anyone violating the regulations during this period.
"The General Election Commission (KPU) will explain the conditions that must be adhered to. Any violations will attract action by the police," he reiterated.
Explaining the need for such a cooling-off period, Wiranto said such a phase of calm is required after a long campaign for any election, so that people can think again about who to vote for.
"Let people contemplate before they decide on who will be their best leaders for the next five years," he added.
The KPU added that the regional head elections, held in seven provinces of Jakarta, Aceh, Banten, Bangka Belitung, Gorontalo, West Papua and West Sulawesi, needed at least 45.59 million pieces of ballot papers.
Of the total, over 22.91 million pieces are for voters in district head and mayor elections, and 22.67 million for voters in governors (provincial head) elections.
In order to secure the elections, the commander of the Indonesian military (TNI), General Gatot Nurmantyo has promised that the TNI rank-and-file would back up the police in ensuring security for the successful conduct of the regional elections.
"This is my commitment. From Sabang in the western tip of Indonesia to Merauke in the easternmost part of the country, I have ordered all regional military commanders to remain on standby. Do not hesitate to deploy available forces," the TNI commander said recently.
The four-star general termed the simultaneous regional elections as a festival of democracy and assured that he would prepare the TNI rank-and-file to lend all support. "I reaffirm that the TNI would make all arrangements to back up the police, in case anyone seeks to disrupt national security and stability," he stressed.
Polari has also made its commitment to make the festival of democracy pass off peacefully, particularly in strategic and vulnerable regions.
According to Bawaslu (the election supervising agency), the West Papua province is considered the most vulnerable in terms of election-related disruptions, followed by Aceh, Banten, West Sulawesi, Jakarta, Bangka Belitung and Gorontalo.
Polri has also given an emphasis on the smooth proceeding of the regional elections in Jakarta as the country's democratic barometer.
Hence, Polri chief Tito Karnavian recently inducted Inspector General Mochamad Iriawan as the Metra Jaya (Jakarta) Police chief to ensure the upcoming gubernatorial elections pass off peacefully.
"This (election) is quite a hot topic, and our hope from the police force is that it will do well. Hopefully, you (Iriawan) would be able to handle Jakarta," the general said after installing the Jakarta police chief.
The new Jakarta police chief promised to deploy all personnel in the most optimum fashion possible to secure the Pilkada. "We will go all out to stand guard for the successful local elections in Jakarta," Iriawan affirmed.
In Papua, the easternmost province of Indonesia sharing borders with Papua New Guinea, the Pilkada will be 4 thousand security personnel in 11 districts and municipalities.
The personnel will comprise military and police officers from the headquarters in Jakarta, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw stated.
Waterpauw remarked here on Monday that the military personnel were instructed to help ensure security in the districts of Nduga, Dogiai and Intan Jaya during the elections.
(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 06-02-2017 20:45: |
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