ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO ENSURE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, DATA TRANSPARENCY by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 22, 2015 (Antara) - The General Elections Commission (KPU), as the executor of the general elections and simultaneous regional head elections, is committed to ensuring the protection of human rLabelsights and data transparency in implementing elections across the country.

       As Indonesia is gearing up for simultaneous regional head elections on December 9, 2015, KPU Chairman Husni Kamil Manik on Sept. 21 signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) respectively on data transparency, accessibility and digitization, as well as on the protection of human rights.

        The MoU on data transparency and information accessibility was signed by Manik, Director of the Association for Election and Democracy (Perludem) Titi Anggraini, and MNC Media in a bid to ensure free and fair elections.

         "Every stakeholder is involved in elections, so the openness in public information is crucial, particularly to optimize public supervision," Husni Kamil Manik, said after the signing of the MOU.

       The data and information transparency is expected to improve the quality of the election process and boost people's participation levels.

          The data includes information documented by the KPU and is made publicly available.

         Titi Anggraini said data and information openness and transparency would be followed by  public participation and control.

         Referring to the agreement with the MNC Media, Husni Kamil Manik hoped that the MNC Media would work professionally in covering and reporting the implementation of the election process.

        In the meantime, the MoU on human rights protection during the general elections and regional head elections was signed by the KPU chairman and Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Nur Kholis.

         The MoU is expected to serve as a guideline for the two commissions to establish channels for communication, cooperation, and coordination to protect human rights during elections.

         The Komnas HAM will organize counseling activities on the promotion and protection of human rights for the personnel of KPU chapters in various regions.

          "In the previous elections, we always monitored the election process in Indonesia with a focus on the human rights aspect. We want to make sure that the rights to vote and be voted for during the elections are upheld in line with regulations," Nur Kholis stated.

          He expressed happiness that people with disabilities could now participate in the elections more easily.

         As many as 19 tickets will contest in the gubernatorial elections, 557 tickets in the district head elections, and 62 tickets in the mayoral elections during the upcoming simultaneous regional head elections, KPU Commissioner Juri Ardiantoro stated during a recent hearing with the Parliament.

        Of the total 1,584 regional head candidates, only 116, or 7.32 percent are women contestants. Of the total 296 regions to hold regional head elections, 235 regions do not have women candidates.

        According to preliminary data provided by the KPU, there will be 1,820,143 first-time voters, or 1.85 percent of the total eligible voters.

        In the meantime, the Indonesian Army has expressed its readiness to provide security for the regional head elections to be conducted simultaneously on December 9.

         "The Indonesian army is ready to assist the police in providing security to conduct these elections," Chief of Staff of the Army General Mulyono recently.

           In addition, the Indonesian military will assist the police in detecting any threats during the election process.

        "With such an effort, the elections can be held in a proper and safe manner," he said.

         Also, the Indonesian Police has said it will deploy 135,672 officers to ensure security during the simultaneous regional head elections (Pilkada) slated for December 9.

         The police personnel will be drawn from a total of 31 provincial police offices across the country, the National Police Headquarters' Operation Assistant, Inspector General Unggung Cahyono, stated recently.

        The National Police had organized a mock security drill to prepare for the local elections by involving all the provincial police officers in the country, except those in Aceh Province.

         Cahyono remarked that the National Police Chief, General Badrodin Haiti, had instructed every police office at the provincial, district, and city level, along with the police's Mobile Brigade to be prepared to ensure security for the regional head elections.

        The National Police Headquarters will also enlist another 3.5 thousand personnel as reserves to be deployed in case of any potential conflict.

         The police have also drawn a map of the conflict-prone regions in conjunction with the local elections.  
  Earlier, the Deputy Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Oesman Sapta Odang, said he expected that the simultaneously conducted regional elections will help improve the quality of democracy in various regions of the country.

        "We hope that the simultaneous regional elections can improve the quality of democracy in Indonesia," Oesman Sapta Odang said in a press statement recently.
   He pointed out that according to Article 18, Paragraph 4 of the Constitution, the regional heads should be elected democratically as part of the efforts to reinforce and strengthen the sovereignty of the people.

         "There is still room for improvement in conducting  these regional elections. Therefore, I urge all stakeholders to give their inputs to the MPR," he stressed.

          He further remarked that the elections should also strengthen Indonesia's spirit of `Unity in Diversity.'
   "The elections should uphold democracy in accordance with the values of the state ideology--Pancasila," he said.   ***2***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 22-09-2015 17:01:57