NUMBER OF ELECTIONS ABSTAINERS MAY INCREASE: NGO

Jakarta, Dec 10 (ANTARA) - The number of 'golput' (eligible voters who do not cast their votes) in the coming general elections is expected to increase due to the lack of popularization of the event by the General Elections Commission (KPU), a non-governmental organization (NGO) said.

"The popularization of the general elections by the KPU is less intensive so that up to now many people have no idea when the general elections will be held," Chairman of LIMA, an NGO which is monitoring the KPU activities, Said Salahudin said here on Wednesday.
He said that when KPU held an elections simulation sometime ago, many people misunderstood it at as a real general election. "This is a funny example which raises our concern," he said.
Therefore, Salahudin called on the KPU to improve the weaknesses of its popularization programs. He said that even in big city like Jakarta there were many residents who were not informed of the fixed date for the implementation of the elections.
"If there are many people who are not informed even in Jakarta, how about people living in remoter areas such as in Papua province who have no enough communication access to information,?" he questioned.
Salahudin said KPU should therefore improve its weaknesses in carrying out its tasks giving a priority to popularizing the elections.