REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is monitoring the situation during the implementation of the simultaneous regional head elections (pilkada) 2015.
"Until now, the president is constantly monitoring and receiving reports from the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, the home affairs minister, and the national police chief," Ari Dwipayana of the presidential communication team noted in a statement, here, Wednesday.
Earlier, President Jokowi had remarked that the first-ever simultaneous pilkada 2015 is a new experience for the Indonesian people.
Therefore, the head of state has urged the Indonesian people in 264 regions organizing simultaneous pilkada to actively participate in the elections.
Read: KPU yet to ensure implementation of elections in five regions
"Do not forget to visit the polling stations. Do not forget to select Indonesian leaders who will be chosen by you, the people themselves," Jokowi affirmed, Monday.
The president instructed the home affairs minister and the national police chief to ensure that the pilkada was organized peacefully.
"I urge everyone to maintain order and remain calm," he emphasized.
The winners should not show arrogance, and the losers must not become disappointed and upset, he remarked.
"If there is a disagreement regarding the elections' results, I hope it would be handled peacefully, democratically, and maturely in line with the existing regulations," Jokowi stated.
Millions of eligible voters went to polling stations to cast their ballots in Indonesia's first-ever simultaneous pilkada being held in 264 regions on Wednesday.
Initially, the pilkada would be organized in 269 regions, but the KPU announced on Tuesday evening that pilkada in five regions would be postponed.
The five regions are Central Kalimantan Province, Fakfak District (Papua), Pematang Siantar municipality (North Sumatra), Simalungun District (North Sumatra), and Manado city (North Sulawesi), according to KPU Commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay.
Of the total participating regions, three have only a single candidate each: Blitar in East Java, Tasikmalaya in West Java, and North Timor Tengah in East Nusa Tenggara.
More than 800 pairs of regional head candidates are contesting in the elections to elect eight governors and vice governors, 222 district heads and their deputies, and 34 mayors and their deputies.
According to data recently provided by the KPU, some 100,461,890 Indonesians comprising 50,297,463 men and 50,164,427 women are eligible voters in the 2015 pilkada.
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