Simultaneous regional elections for effective democracy

Vice Presidential Palace. “Tomorrow we will have simultaneous elections held in 269 regions in one single day. This is to reach efficiency and for the better democracy,” said Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the opening ceremony of Election Visit Program for Head of Regional Election 2015 at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta today.

In the coming 2019 elections, he added, presidential and legislative elections will also run simultaneously. “This will make elections in Indonesia run only for three days in five years, from this year on. This will surely ease the hardwork of KPU (the General Elections Commission),” said the Vice President, adding that there were previously more than 500 elections in five years to vote for mayors, regents, governors, parliament members, and presidents.

Compared to elections in other countries, according to Mr Kalla, elections in Indonesia are relatively well-ordered and safe. “I had been an observer for elections in Azerbaijan and Pakistan together with some senators of both countries. Those senators said, elections in the countries are always shaded with fatal tragedies. You will not see such phenomenon in Indonesia,” he said.

The Vice President then appreciated the observers who are going to visits some regions to watch the elections directly tomorrow. “Every step of democracy should be observed to keep it transparent and accountable, and to ensure all citizens have their right to vote,” he said.

Previously before the Vice President came to the stage delivering his speech, KPU chairman Husni Kamil Manik said the simultanious regional elections held tomorrow proved the improved democracy in the country.

The Election Visit Program, he continued, is to keep and watch all of the elections in the right track of democratic principles.

The participants of the program are election commissions coming from Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Palestine, South Korea, and Australia.

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