Technical Problems Arise

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Officers label and wrap ballot boxes with plastic in the Surakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) warehouse in Surakarta, Central Java, on Tuesday (9/4/2019). Election logistics, among others, in the form of boxes and ballots have been distributed up to the district level in Surakarta.

Collective understanding among election organizers is needed to resolve rising technical problems.JAKARTA, KOMPAS — One week ahead of voting day on April 17, voting supplies such as ballot boxes and the ballots themselves are being distributed to districts all over the country. Technical guidelines for polling station officers (KPPS) are also being prepared.

However, technical problems are emerging. Collective understanding between election organizers is necessary to immediately resolve these problems and prevent them from creating unnecessary misunderstanding.

This is important, considering the various technical problems that have begun to crop up. In Bali, the final voter list (DPT) has yet to be distributed to local KKPS on Tuesday (9/4/2019). This led to concerns that voters will receive their voting invitations late. Bali General Elections Commission (KPU) chair Dewa Agung Gede Lidartawan said on Wednesday that the DPT in Bali would be distributed this Wednesday.

However, delayed DPT distribution is only one problem. KPPU Dauh Putri Kelod head Nyoman Mardika said in Denpasar that many locals were complaining about the lack of information dissemination in local banjar (village). Many locals said they did not know what the ballots looked like and what the voting procedures were.

Another obstacle, Mardika said, was that several banjar were having difficulties in recruiting volunteers to oversee the voting. Those willing to be volunteers are generally below the minimum required age of 25 years old.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Officers record the results of cast ballots in a simulation of voting and vote counting in the 2019 elections in Cengkareng district, West Jakarta, on Tuesday (9/4/2019). The simulation was carried out to monitor the readiness of polling station working committees (KPPS) for the presidential and legislative elections, which will be held simultaneously.

“We need to cross some names from the list of volunteers as they are younger than 25. Now, it is difficult for us to find replacements, while the election is getting closer,” Mardika said.

Meanwhile, KPPS officers in Maluku are complaining over their meager payments.

KPPS head Franky Lekeneni of Kudamati subdistrict, Nusaniwa district, Ambon, said each KPPS officer got paid Rp 500,000 (US$35.35), similar to during the 2018 Maluku gubernatorial election.

“There was only one type of ballot to be tabulated in the gubernatorial election. In this election, there are five. Furthermore, we will have to fill out more than 70 forms. This is truly hard work,” Franky said.

Under such conditions, KPPS officers expect to stay at polling stations (TPS) from the start of voting until the next day. Before that, they also write the voting invitations.

KPPS head at TPS 2 in Kamal village, Western Seram regency, Nel Tlingkery, said KPPS officers faced a heavy workload in this year’s election. “However, this is state duty, so I will do it. It is part of my service for the country,” Nel said.

KPU commissioner Ilham Saputra said he had yet to receive any report of KPPS officers’ complaints in Ambon. “We informed them about their payment when we recruited them. There should not be any complaints,” he said.

New TPS

Ilham said payments for KPPS members had yet to be distributed as they had yet to start working.

Currently, the KPU is preparing voting supplies to cater to transferee voters on the provisional voter list (DPTb) and the special voters list (DPK).

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Officers record the results of cast ballots in a simulation of voting and vote counting in the 2019 elections in Cengkareng district, West Jakarta, on Tuesday (9/4/2019). The simulation was carried out to monitor the readiness of polling station working committees (KPPS) for the presidential and legislative elections, which will be held simultaneously.

KPU records show there are 693 new TPS based on additions to the DPTb and grouping of new TPS based on DPTb. Of the amount, 630 are additional TPS based on DPTb data, 46 are additional TPS based on the DPK’s change into DPT upon recommendations from city/regency Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) and 17 are new TPS based on regrouping.

The KPU also aims to complete technical training for KPPS members on April 12, or five days before voting day. To improve election organizers’ understanding, the KPU will also prepare manuals and video guidelines for KPPS members.

Ilham said village or subdistrict-level polling committees (PPS) would conduct technical training for KPPS members. “We will hold the technical training in stages, from the central KPU to provincial KPU and then to regency/city KPU, district polling committee (PPK), PPS and KPPS,” he said.

Joint circular

Bawaslu has proposed the issuance of a joint circular with the KPU on several technical matters at the TPS on voting day.

Bawaslu member M. Afifuddin said the joint circular would be necessary, considering there were new elements in the organizing of the 2019 election that necessitated an understanding to prevent misperception.

Among the new elements, Afifuddin said, was the definition of certain conditions that would require a revote.

In the last regional election, a revote was carried out if someone voted twice at the same or different TPS. However, such a stipulation does not exist in this year’s election.

Ilham said the KPU had agreed with the proposal in principle.

National holiday

President Joko Widodo issued Presidential Regulation No. 10/2019, which stipulates April 17 as a national holiday. The regulation was issued to fulfill a stipulation in the Election Law that voting is held on a national holiday.

(REK/FRN/SYA/INK/AYS/RTS/PIN)