Indonesians in RP urged to cast votes

The Indonesian embassy is calling on its nationals in the Philippines to cast their votes for their legislature this Monday.

Andang Pramana, the embassy’s press attaché, said there are 5,300 Indonesians who registered for the elections in Manila and Davao City.

The embassy has set up an election committee to conduct and supervise the voting process and the counting of votes.

Indonesian voters in Metro Manila may bring their election cards and cast their votes at the Nusantra Hall of the embassy at 185 Salcedo st., Legaspi Village, Makati City, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Davao registrants should proceed to the consulate in Davao City.

In the April 5 elections, Indonesians will vote for representatives in their legislature, including the House of Representatives (DPR), their regional representatives in the DPR (DPD), the provincial legislative councils (DPRD I) and the regional legislative council (DPDR II).

A total of 24 political parties are taking part in the legislative elections but large political parties are expected to dominate the exercise.

The DPR elections are significant since they will determine the candidates for president and vice president in the national elections on July 5.

Reports said a number of parties will most likely put up with the daughters of former presidents as candidates in the presidential elections, among them incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia’s founding father Sukarno, and Siti Hardyanto Rukmana, daughter of Suharto.