Campaign for Empty Ballot Box

In the midst of light rains, the shout of Jumadi, 35, can still be heard loudly from the speaker system laid out nicely on top of a truck in the northern coast highway in Pati regency, Central Java, on Thursday afternoon.

A number of motorists slowed down their vehicles, turning around and giving a curious expression. The campaign for an empty ballot box in local elections has emerged as a part of democracy.

"Empty ballot box is not about abstentions. Choosing an empty ballot box is our right as citizens of Pati," shouted Jumadi.

The oration held on Thursday was part of the action by the Alliance of Democratic Election Guard of Pati (AKDPP), a support group  for the  blank ballot box. The blank box is considered the rival of single candidate pair Haryanto-Saiful Arifin in the election of a regent of Pati.

On the Pati regional elections, Haryanto is an incumbent regent who is also supported by eight of the nine political parties in the Regional Representatives Council (DPRD).

It is called blank box because the ballot contains only names and pictures of a single pair candidate, while the other column in the ballot is left empty.

Jumadi’s opposition against the phenomenon of a single candidate incited a wide campaign for the election of the empty box.

The public speech on Thursday received much attention from the passing motorists. It caused traffic jams in the highway, the main road in the island of Java, as some parts of the road were occupied by the supporters of the empty box, while many also motorists stopped to watch the campaign.

About 100 volunteers of the empty box campaign initially planned to unfurl a white cloth to the Pati square, about 1 kilometer from the point of their campaign. However, based on the agreement with the Pati police, the white cloth was only spread out along 200 meters in order not cause traffic problems.

According to the Chair of AKDPP, Sutiyo, the activities to put signatures on the white cloth were carried out to show difficulties in obtaining permission to hold a political campaign.

"We always face difficulties. Every time we want to hold an election campaign, KPU (election committee) of Pati refused to issue a permit," he said.

The coordinator of the division of  prevention and inter-agency relations in the Central Java election supervisory body, Teguh Purnomo,  said Pati was one of areas prone to frauds, in addition to Brebes, Cilacap, and Jepara. To that end, election supervisory members (PPL) were assigned to carry out close monitoring activities during election day. At least an supervisor is assigned at each polling station (TPS).

The presence of a single candidate has limited the people’s opportunities to make a choice.  it could undermine democracy because it  has the tendency to create  hegemony without a control. The movement for  empty boxes can at least be interpreted as an opposition effort to or at least a part of democracy activities that  have to be encouraged.

To be better

The turnout in Aceh is still high. Abdullah, 56, a resident of the Lam Ujong village, Baitussalam sub-district, Aceh Besar, said on Monday that he would use the opportunity to choose the best possible candidate.

Before leaving for the polling station, the father of three children is checking the final voter list taped to the walls of polling stations in Lam Ujong.

He wanted to make sure he was able to vote on the election of Aceh governor, Wednesday. Abdullah believes his vote can change his fate. "I want to choose a leader who can give a chance to my children to further study until the college," said Abdullah.

He did not want his son to have the same fate like him, passing only a primary school. Abdullah works as a salt farmer. If the weather is sunny, he can sell up to 20 kilograms (kg) of salt per day at a price of Rp 3,500 per kg. However, during rainy season, he could not work for months. His wife works as a laborer in brick molding plant with a wage of Rp 50 per brick. His wife earns about Rp 30,000 a day.

Due to the financial condition of the family, his two children stopped their education when they were in the high school. They then worked as a security guard and a tire repairman. However, Abdullah still has a hope on his youngest son, who is now studying in the Secondary School of Craft Industry in Aceh. "I believe, with education, my children can change their fate," he said.

The desire to change lives through the elections was also shown by Irfan Fauzan, 26. He has been unemployed for two years since graduating from a private university in Banda Aceh. "Job vacancies are very little  in Aceh. When there is a job, I have to compete with hundreds of other unemployed. I have applied for many jobs, but no response have been received," he added.

Fauzan hopes, the  Aceh gubernatorial election in 2017, which is joined six candidates could produce leaders who can create new jobs. He said he has already have a choice in his pocket as the candidate for the governor. For that, he will return from Banda Aceh to Pidie district to exercise his  voting rights.

The political atmosphere ahead of the elections in Aceh is getting hectic. The debate about the candidates for governor is heard in almost in all coffee shops. They hope whoever is elected, they can make "the veranda of Mecca" great again.

The expectation is quite realistic because, according to the Statistics Agency of Aceh, the number of poor people in Aceh in 2016 reached 17.08 percent. That figure makes Aceh as the second highest in Sumatra and the seventh highest in Indonesia in terms of poverty.

Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, University of Syiah Kuala, Jeliteng Peribadi, said that since 2008, Aceh had received special autonomy funds totaling Rp 41 trillion. Until the year 2027, the figure would reach Rp 144.7 trillion. However, until now the funds have not been optimally.

Less enthusiastic

If Aceh welcome the election by a lively atmosphere, in the Bangka Belitung province, the response is in the opposite. The residents show no enthusiasm to the governor election that is joined by four pairs of candidates.

In Pangkal Pinang, banners reminding citizens to use their right to vote are almost unseen. Either in a coffee shop or food stalls, talks on the issue of elections are rarely heard. The residents prefer to discuss issues related to the increase in price of rubber, which is Rp 9,000 per kg. The rest of them talk about frequent flooding in the Bangka Belitung and the problems of their lives.

Hafid Fitrian, 27, a resident of Bintang villager, Pangkal Pinang, said the enthusiasm of residents  to welcome the election continues to decline, because  the winning candidates in the previous elections did not kept their promises. "Want to create new jobs, want to build a better region, and want to improve the life of citizens. However, they were just empty promises."

It is different with the citizens of  the Bukit Intan district, Pangkal Pinang. Henry Sanada, for example, said he would use his right to vote. "I told my family, we must vote. At least we can choose the best among the bad. Because, if we do not choose, the condition will be even worse," said Henry.

Quiet atmosphere is seen in West Tulang Bawang, Lampung.  The regent election in the West Tulang Bawang  is joined by only a pair of candidates who are the incumbent  and supported by all political parties.

Wasikun, a rubber farmer in Murni  Jayavillage, Tumijajar district, even forgot that the election would be held today. He only remembered when a KPU car passed and announced the election date. Nevertheless, he admitted that he would come to the polls.

(DIT/SAN/AIN/DRI/VIO)