Jakarta Police Deploy 22,101 Personnel to Secure Polling Stations

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Jakarta Metropolitan Police quarters had deployed 22,101 personnel along with 7,300 military and 65,820 civilian defense personnel to secure a total of 32,910 polling stations or TPS in the capital city, a spokesman said.

"Part of the security force will directly move to the polling stations and the rest will be on alert in the headquarters," the Jakarta Police Public Relations officer, Senior Commissioner Rikwanto, said after a roll call here on Monday.

According to Rikwanto, the security personnel will proceed to the Voting Committee Groups or KPPS.

During the roll call, deputy chief of the Jakarta Metro Police, Brig. Gen. Sujarno, representing the Jakarta Metro Police chief, Insp. Gen. Dwi Priyatno, said that the security force will also protect the important buildings of General Election Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu), Parliament, and the Presidential Palace.

Sujarno has also asked the security force to eliminate the potential anarchy from supporters of the presidential and vice presidential candidates.

The Jakarta Metro Police, according to Sujarno, will make every effort to maintain order and help in the smooth running of the presidential election as that of the last April legislative election.

Indonesia will hold a presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Jusuf Kalla (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.

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 Democrat Party (Nasdem).(WDY)