Placing Hopes on Polling Stations

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Workers on Tuesday (4/16/2019) decorate polling station (TPS) 08 with paper lanterns in Glodok, Tamansari, Jakarta. The public will exercise their voting right to elect their president and legislative representatives for the next five-year term in the 2019 election, which will be held on April 17.

People are placing their hopes on the 2019 elections regardless of political choices.

Abdul Mukadas, 54, of Petobo subdistrict, Palu, Central Sulawesi, expressed such a hope. As an agricultural trainer, he does not earn much. However, this does not dissuade him from joining the festivities at polling station (TPS) 017 in Petobo, where he served as polling station committee (KPPS) head.

The earthquake and liquefaction on Sept. 8, 2018, caused sorrow in Petobo. Some 278 voters registered to vote at Petobo’s TPS 017 are survivors who lost family members and valuable property.

Abdul said he wished to use the 2019 election to bring back smiles to his region. This led to him enthusiastically putting up a 3-meter-by-1.5-meter banner under the green tent on Tuesday (16/4/2019). The tent will be used as a TPS this Wednesday.

The banner is a greeting, with the words of “Simultaneous Election Towards Peaceful Election”.

Abdul ordered and paid for the banner with his own money. Other than at the TPS, he put up another banner he ordered at an intersection in the Petobo evacuation camp in Palu, some 450 meters away from the TPS. The banner shows a map to TPS 017 and words of encouragement for locals to use their voting rights in the local tongue of Kaili. Abdul spent Rp 250,000 (US$17.76) for the two banners.

“I want to greet the voters. This is an [expression of] gratitude that we are still able to vote even after the powerful earthquake last year,” said Abdul, who still stays at a government-built temporary housing.

Abdul has won praise for his creativity. Petobo resident Anita, 23, said the unique banners had boosted her spirit to exercise her voting right. She does not want Abdul and his friends’ hard work to be in vain.

Unity

Neighborhood unit (RT) 004 head Yuli in community unit (RW) 010, Cijantung subdistrict, Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta, said she hoped the election would unite people in her neighborhood, regardless of political choices.

Based on this hope, TPS 108 and 109 in the RT are adorned with decorations as if the locals are holding a wedding party. “We need to celebrate the election as it occurs once every five years. We always decorate our TPS in unique ways to unite the people, regardless of their political choices,” he said.

On voting day, voters in the two TPS will be welcomed with a red carpet and officials wearing batik shirts. Various meals and beverages, including nasi liwet (rice boiled in coconut milk and served with various side dishes), semur jengkol (stewed dog fruit) and es timun (sweetened shaved cucumber with ice), are prepared by locals for voters at the TPS.

“The decoration may not be luxurious but what’s important is the meaning behind it. We want to celebrate the election in simple ways,” Yuli said.

KOMPAS/DAHLIA IRAWATI

A local resident on Tuesday (4/16/2019) places finishing touches to TPS 18 in Gadingkasri village of Klojen district, Malang, East Java. The polling station was beautifully decorated to raise public enthusiasm for the Democratic Party and to set a festive mood for the election on Wednesday.

Joy

People in RT 001, RW 005, Cinderejo Lor village, Gilingan subdistrict, Banjarsari district, Surakarta, Central Java hoped to vote in joy. With this in mind, the KPPS at TPS 10 decorated the TPS with the theme of “Voting at Pedicabs”.

Together with locals, KPPS members at TPS 10 used 10 pedicabs for the TPS. Four pedicabs are used as voting booths, three as seats for the KPPS members, one to place the voting ink and two serving as “gates” in front of the TPS.

“Hopefully, this will help ease tension and locals can vote in joy. We have to stay united regardless of our differences,” TPS 10 KPPS head Daryanto said.

According to him, many pedicabs are often parked at his house. Currently, there are 50 pedicabs there. “The drivers are going to their hometowns to vote. So, we borrow their pedicabs for the TPS,” he said.

“Voting at Pedicabs” initiator Haristanto said that the theme was chosen to appreciate pedicab drivers. Through the decorations, the KPPS aims to promote pedicabs as a pollution-free transportation mode that must not be forgotten as modernity sweeps over the world. “The TPS is designed uniquely to attract voters and reduce golput [white-voting] rate,” he said.

In Joho village, RT 007, RW 010, Manahan subdistrict, Surakarta, locals and KPPS members designed TPS 27 with a colonial theme. “On voting day, all KPPS members will wear Dutch-style official clothing. Locals will wear traditional clothes,” said local Yunus Ariseno, 48.

“This is to spread joy on voting day and to reduce tension amid political differences. Our motto is ‘Election is Joyful’,” Yunus said.

Hopefully, the election today will be a step forward in realizing these many wonderful hopes.  (AGE/VDL/GIO/DIV/RWN/FAI/OKA/CIP)