The government is strengthening coordination with political parties and security agencies to guarantee the 2017 simultaneous regional elections run free of conflict, a top minister said on Tuesday.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto led a meeting with representatives from political parties, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to plan anticipatory measures for possible disruptions during the second simultaneous elections.

Possible disruptions include conflicts between candidates and supporters, a lack of professionalism on the part of election organizers, fraud, money politics and smear campaigns, he said.

"We should stick together to overcome and eliminate various issues that might occur. This is not just the responsibility of the Elections Supervisory Agency [Bawaslu], but also of all stakeholders," Wiranto said on Tuesday.

The meeting was held following the release of the election vulnerability index on Monday, which identifies regions that Bawaslu considers prone to electoral fraud and conflict. The report claimed that provinces such as West Papua, Aceh and Banten were the most vulnerable and required close attention.

Wiranto further called for political parties participating in the elections to provide information on any endorsement shift in order to prevent problems. Political parties must also be at the forefront of efforts to reduce conflict and electoral fraud, especially in vulnerable provinces, he added.

The second simultaneous regional elections will be held in February next year, where seven provinces, 76 regencies and 18 municipalities will vote for their local leaders. The provinces include Aceh, Bangka Belitung, Jakarta, Banten, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi and West Papua. (rin)

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by Marguerite Afra Sapiie

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