RI POLICE PLEDGE TO SECURE LOCAL ELECTIONS By Fardah

    Jakarta, Aug 18, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesia will hold its first ever simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) that will draw over 800 candidates across the country on December 9.    
   Till August 9, the General Election Commission (KPU) will act as the executor of the elections, registering 852 pairs of candidates that will contest the regional head elections.

        Of the total tickets, 21 will be candidates for governors and deputies, 117 will be for mayors and deputies, and 714 will be contest elections for district heads and deputies.    
   The pilkada will be organized in 269 regions, including nine provinces, 224 districts and 36 cities, on December 9.

        However, the districts of North Timor Tengah, Blitar and Tasikmalaya, as well as Mataram municipality will only get one ticket each, and therefore have had to postpone the implementation of pilkada in the four regions until 2017--the second phase of the pilkada.

        Given the considerable number of candidates taking part in the elections, the Chief of the National Police, General Badrodin Haiti, believes there is potential for simultaneous elections that will trigger conflicts.

        "The simultaneous elections will face a high risk (of triggering conflicts). Therefore, I have given the order as a preventive measure. It is important because the integrity of the police force is at stake. The capability of the National Police in guarding the pilkada will be questioned," he remarked recently.

        The National Police will deploy 135,672 officers, who are instructed to optimally secure the pilkada, as well as to guard public facilities, crucial objects and shopping centers.    
   The personnel will come from a total of 31 provincial police offices across the country.

        "Every officer must give it their all and seriously secure the elections to ensure the smooth implementation of the democratic process," the general said on August 11.

        Moreover, police personnel are collecting data from the preparations being made for the implementation of the pilkada and analyzing it.

        "Information on what has been done during each phase is being collected and studied. We knew yesterday that there would be chaos during registration process," Haiti stated.  
   The National Police had organized a roll call for three days, from August 11 to 14, with regards to preparations being made to implement security measures during the simultaneous regional head elections.

        According to the National Police Chief, the police forces have been tasked with three jobs related to the pilkada--to maintain order so that the elections run smoothly; to guard and secure the elections process; and to enforce laws against any violator during the pilkada.

        The National Police Headquarters are also readying another 3.5 thousand personnel as reserves to be deployed in case of any potential conflict, the National Police Headquarters' Operation Assistant, Inspector General Unggung Cahyono, stated recently.

        The police have chalked out a map of conflict-prone regions in conjunction with the local elections.

        Every five polling stations will be guarded by two police officers and 10 civilian security guards.

        In regions that are considered prone to conflicts, two police officers along with four civilian security personnel will be deployed at every two polling stations.

        In the highest risk regions, two police officers, along with two civilian security guards, will be posted at every polling station.
   The police will be supported by officers of the National Defense Forces (TNI) for securing the pilkada.

        According to the existing laws, military and police officers as security enforcers, will be obligated to remain neutral during the elections, and, therefore, will not have the right to vote.

        TNI Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo has instructed military officers to remain neutral and ready to help secure the passage of the local elections.

        The police's job would be to maintain and forge close relations and coordination with other police officers to jointly secure the pilkada, General Nurmantyo noted in a written statement read out by General Affairs Chief of Staff, Air Marshal Dede Rusamsi, in Jakarta, on August 18.

        The TNI will not tolerate actions taken by any officer that could hurt the sound relations between the military and the police, he stated.

        It is important for unit commanders and officers to pay attention to this matter as the TNI's neutrality and readiness in helping secure the pilkada in cooperation with the police is a guarantee for creating a conducive national situation and upholding unity among the Indonesian people, he added.

        Indonesia has 34 provinces, 420 districts, and 94 cities. A province is headed by a governor, a district by a district head, and a city by a mayor, according to data published in early 2014.
   The first round of the registration period for regional head candidates took place in 269 regions across Indonesia from July 26 to 28, and was smooth and peaceful in general.
   The KPU, however, was forced to extend the registration period several times to meet the obligation that there should be at least two candidates contesting the election for a regional head position. ***2***
(f001/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE

 19-08-2015 00:20:09