3,300 Indonesians in 
Abu Dhabi to Vote by Mail

“We have registered around 3,300 (Indonesian) citizens from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, (but) majority will be voting by mail,” said Muhammad Aris Hidayatullah, head of secretariat of the Indonesian Election Committee and first secretary of economy at the Indonesian Embassy.

“Ninety per cent will be doing it by mail. We sent them the letter so they can do it at home and send it to us by July 18. By July 19, we must register all the results in Jakarta,” he added.

Those who will be voting by mail include domestic helpers, construction workers and skilled workers in the emirate.

Hidayatullah said they started distributing the letters on Sunday. More than 400 letters were sent by post and the rest are handed over to the Indonesians through their community centres. There are only two polling places for the election, the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate-General in Dubai. The voting hours are from 8am to 6pm.

“We follow two procedures in sending the results. First, after 6pm on July 8, we will count the ballots and directly send the result (to Jakarta), second, (those who voted) by mail will be counted and sent on July 19,” said Hidayatullah.

According to Hidayatullah, this is the third time that an overseas absentee voting is held in the UAE, the first was in 1999.

For July 8, the Indonesians will be voting by pairs — the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. “We do it as a package. We started voting by pairs since 2004,” explained Hidayatullah.

Those vying for the head of state positions include the present incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with former Central bank governor Boediono for vice-president position; incumbent Vice-President Jusuf Kalla with former general Wiranto; and Megawati Sukarnoputri with general Prabowo Subianto.

olivia@khaleejtimes.ae