23 Detainees To Cast Votes At KPK Building

Jakarta, April 8 (Antara) - A total of 23 detainees will cast their votes at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building here on Wednesday, KPK spokesman Johan Budi stated on Tuesday. "Ten of the detainees will come from the Guntur detention post and 13 from the KPK detention post. Special poll stations called TPS 21 will be made available in front of the detention posts in Karet, Setiabudi sub-district, South Jakarta," Budi noted. The 23 detainees include former Democrat Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum, former youths and sports minister Andi Alifian Mallarangeng, former president of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, former Bank Indonesia deputy governor Budi Mulya, and former chief of the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) Rudi Rubiandini, he explained. Budi pointed out that the KPK had always given detainees a chance to exercise their rights to vote. "The KPK has always facilitated detainees to exercise their rights to vote, including during the Jakarta gubernatorial election some time ago," he reiterated. He added that KPK detainee Izederik Emir Moeis of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) who is being treated at the Harapan Kita Hospital in West Jakarta will cast his vote at the hospital. Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah who is held custody at the Pondok Bambu detention post and former secretary general of the Foreign Ministry Sudjanan Parnohadiningrat who is held custody at the Cipinang detention center will cast their votes at the detention centers respectively, he pointed out. On April 3, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a decree declaring the poll day a public holiday to allow voters to cast their votes in the legislative election. The decree is based on decision of the General Elections Commission (KPU) on the date of poll to elect members of the House of Representatives (DPR), the Regional Representative Council (DPD) and the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD), and article 4 sub-article (3) of Law No. 8/2012, the Cabinet Secretariat said on its official website on Sunday. Earlier, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar, in his circular, signed on March 26 also declared the poll day as a holiday for employees/workers. "By doing so, we hope that employees/workers can channelize their political aspirations in the five-yearly fiesta of democracy," he explained.