Bali Water Police Bolster Sea Patrols For Securing Election

Denpasar, Bali, July 8 (Antara) - The water police in the Indonesian island resort of Bali have intensified sea patrols during the July 9 presidential election, noted Bali Water Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Tubuh Musyareh. "We are stepping up sea patrols around the island to anticipate intruders who want to disrupt the atmosphere of the election," Musyareh stated here on Tuesday. Musyareh reported that sea patrolling was increased around inhabited small islands around Bali, particularly the islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan at Klungkung District. Musyareh noted that besides sea patrols, the Bali Water Police has also increased coordination with the ground task force to anticipate unidentified persons who sneak into the islands via sea with dangerous materials to disturb the election. Earlier, Denpasar Naval Base spokesman Colonel Julius Widjojono stated on Monday that two warships were being prepared to patrol the waters around Bali for securing the presidential election. "We are preparing two warships to patrol the waters around Bali during the presidential election," Julius remarked after a joint call for readiness at the Niti Mandala Renon Square here on Monday. Julius noted that one of the warships, KRI Weling, has been readied at the Benoa Port, while the other will follow soon. He further added that besides the two warships, he will also mobilize some 227 Navy personnel to maintain security in the territorial waters during the presidential election. "We are doing this in anticipation of intruders who want to enter Bali Island with explosive materials or to hinder the process of election," he stated, adding that he has also called on the fishermen in Jembrana district to help maintain security. Meanwhile, Bali Police Chief Inspector General Albertus Julius Benny Mokalu explained that his party has outlined crime-prone areas to ensure security ahead of and after the July 9 presidential election. "In our effort to ensure security ahead of and after the presidential election, we have mapped sensitive areas because almost all of them are prone to crime," he recently noted in Denpasar.