Simultaneous Regional Head Elections In 2017 to Use E-Voting System

Kendari, SE Sulawesi (Antara Bali)- Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has planned to use an e-voting system in the simultaneous regional head elections in 2017.

"I want that starting 2017, e-voting system will be applied in the simultaneous regional head elections, as well as in the legislative elections and the presidential elections in 2019," Minister Kumolo said here, Saturday.

In order to implement e-voting, every city and every district throughout Indonesia must complete the process of issuance of E-ID cards for every citizen in 2016, he noted.

Currently, some 170 Indonesian citizens have had E-ID cards, and only one million citizens do not have E-ID cards, according to him.

He instructed regional authorities to be proactive in providing E-ID cards to those who do not have the cards, particularly to inhabitants of remote areas.

The government has prepared two concepts for the 2019 general elections, he stated.

The first concept is for the simultaneous elections of president, legislators (DPR), and member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) at the national level.

The second concept is for the simultaneous elections of governors, district heads, mayors, and local legislators (DPRD) using the e-voting system.

In the meantime, a legislator of the Gerindra Party, Bambang Riyanto, has questioned Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo's idea of using e-voting system in the general elections in 2019.

"The idea (on e-voting) is good. But I doubt if it would be possible to apply e-voting mechanism in every Indonesian province in 2019," Riyanto said in Jakarta, on Oct. 9.

E-voting could be applied in major islands like Java, but doing so in remote areas would be very difficult, he said.

"It's not easy for every region to have access to e-voting technology. At present, some remote areas do not even have access to electricity. For example, what will happen to Papua which is using a 'noken' system?" he noted.

He said the government should make sure that every region in Indonesia first gains access to such sophisticated technology before going ahead with the decision to apply e-voting mechanism.

Alternatively, the e-voting system would have to be applied only in certain regions, he said. (WDY)