Camelia Pasandaran
The General Elections Commission, or KPU, has so far failed to make adequate preparations for the millions of Indonesians working overseas to participate in this year's national elections, a representative of a nongovernmental organization that advocates on behalf of migrant workers, said on Tuesday.
Anis Hidayah of Migrant Care raised questions about the KPU's preparations, citing a fall in the number of registered overseas voters since the 2004 elections, despite a steady increase in the number of Indonesian workers living overseas.
"In 2004, there were 1.9 million overseas voters, while for the 2009 elections there are only 1.5 million registered voters," Anis said. "I believe there are still millions unregistered."
The criticism comes as the KPU has also taken heat for a controversial proposal to increase the number of women in Indonesian provincial and national legislatures, and amid concern that the elections body would not have key preparations in place in time for April's national elections.
KPU member Sri Nuryanti said the number of overseas voters had fallen because many migrant workers moved frequently within or even between the countries in which they lived.
In addition, she said, many unregistered eligible voters were working overseas illegally.
"Despite the fact that many migrants' passports are held by their employers and agencies, we cannot register those who do not have passports or other identity cards," Nuryanti said.
According to Anis, although there were 1.9 million overseas voters registered in 2004, only about 400 voted on election day.
"Low participation is also a reflection of low interest," she said. "All overseas votes will be pooled to the Jakarta II election area. The fact that most of them are coming from other provinces and see no reason to vote for candidates that are not representing their native region has made them disinclined to vote."
KPU member Andi Nurpati said it would be too difficult to have overseas Indonesians vote in their own election area.
"We would have to send different ballot papers adjusted to their hometown," she said. "We can't do anything about it."
Migrant Care also questioned the KPU's decision to conduct the elections on weekdays, thus putting workers in a bind.
"Some of the Indonesian migrant workers in the Middle East are not allowed to go out on work days," she said. "Most Indonesian migrants work in factories, shops and as housekeepers, and they have to work on election day."
In most countries, overseas voters have to go to an Indonesian consulate general or embassy to vote.
Nuryanti said that in some countries the commission would provide voting equipment and mobile polling stations.
"We will provide drop-boxes for migrant workers, such as in oil refineries in Johor and Kuala Lumpur [in Malaysia], to make it easier for voters," she said.
However, in some countries, which never conduct elections, the commission could not provide polling stations outside embassies and consulates general.
"It would be a sensitive issue in such countries, because they never conduct votes," she said.
