REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla has urged the public not to worry about the current political year, noting the government has experience in dealing with general elections, which occur every five years. "Political years or regional elections are nothing to worry about. We have experienced them for the past 50 or 60 years. It is nothing extraordinary," he said here on Friday.

A total of 171 regions across the country will conduct elections simultaneously later this year to elect 17 provincial governors and deputy governors, 39 city mayors and deputy mayors, and 115 district heads and deputy heads.

Kalla remarked that the elections will not affect the national legislative and presidential elections scheduled for next year.

"Regional elections used to be held every week, but now they are held once a year or every two or three years. So it is a regular thing. Our experience with the last two regional elections assures us that everything is on track," he stated.

Tensions tend to escalate during vote counting and over disputes in election results, he added.

"Usually, during vote counting, little problems crop up, but during voting or campaigning, thank God, it has always been peaceful, unlike in other countries, where the process is often marred by conflict," he noted.

With regard to the inclusion of women candidates, Kalla pointed out it indicated there was no gender discrimination in the country's political system.

"Men and women are not differentiated. In East Java, the candidate for the governorship is a woman. So there is no discrimination. It will all be determined by capability. Now there is no constraint for women to stand for elections," he stressed

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