Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian citizens overseas will vote for the Indonesian presidential elections on July 4--6, 2014 earlier than the July 9 presidential elections in the country, a general election commissioner said.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has issued a letter of decision regarding the polling date for Indonesias overseas election committees (PPLN) in 130 countries.
"We have regulated the overseas polling schedule for PPLN in 130 countries through a KPU decree No. 464/Kpts/KPU/Year 2014," KPU Commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah said here on Thursday.
He said that the decree regulated that although the polling would be held earlier, the counting of the votes would be carried out simultaneously with those in the country on Wednesday, July 9.
Based on the early voting facility, the election will be held on days off so that Indonesian citizens abroad will be able to attend the polling stations overseas to cast their votes.
Indonesia will be organizing a free and democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by only two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-JK.
Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the chairman of Gerindra (Great Indonesia Movement) Party, while his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN).
Jokowi is Jakartas governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), while his running mate, JK, is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party.
The Prabowo-Hatta pair is supported by Gerindra, PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), and the Golkar Party, whose current chairman is Aburizal Bakrie, owner of TV One.
The Jokowi-JK pair is supported by five political parties: the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the Peoples Conscience Party (Hanura), the Justice and Indonesian Unity Party (PKPI), and the National Democrats Party (Nasdem) established by Surya Paloh, owner of Metro TV and the Media Indonesia newspaper.(WDY)
