Visitors From 28 Countries To Observe Election

Jakarta, Apr 8 (Antara) - Representatives from 28 countries visited the General Elections Commission (KPU) building here on Tuesday to report their presence on the polling day on Wednesday. "They (visitors) wish to see how the general elections are being carried out in Indonesia, especially across a number of polling stations," Central KPU commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay stated after receiving the guests. Indonesians across the country will go to the polls on April 9 to elect members of the House of Representatives (DPR), provincial and district/city legislative assemblies (DPRD I and II) and the Regional Representative Counci; (DPD) in the legislative elections. Hadar Nafis Gumay added that KPU welcomed those who wished to witness the process of polling and vote counting at polling stations to know how democracy is implemented in the country. As visitors, he pointed out, they have no authority to give public opinion regarding their observation. "They are mere visitors and not observers and so they need not make reports and cannot publicize their opinions formally regarding what they see," he remarked. The visitors from 28 foreign countries and independent groups totaling 154 will see the polling situation and atmosphere in various cities such as Yogyakarta, Aceh, Ambon and Jakarta. The Executive Director of "Perkumpulan untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi" (Perludem - Association for General Elections and Democracy), Titi Anggraini, stated that Perludem had brought 10 visitors from three countries namely China, Bangladesh and the US." "They are divided into two teams to observe the implementation of the general elections in Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Later this evening they will take a tour to observe the preparations for the legislative elections," she commented. The foreign visitors came to see the implementation of the world`s second largest elections after the US done in one day with a massive number of candidates involved. The visitors came from among others Germany, Russia, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Cambodia, Hungary, Malaysia and Libya.