REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, HONGKONG -- Indonesians working in Hong Kong looked enthusiastic about going to polling booths in Victoria Park on Sunday to cast their votes for legislative election.
Indonesia's Consul General in Hong Kong Chalif Akbar said he was happy with the voters' enthusiastic response and the fact that the voting process ran orderly and peacefully.
A total of 102,000 Indonesians, whose names have been available in the final voter list, were expected to flock to the Victoria Park to cast their votes, he said.
A number of Indonesians whose names are not available in the final voter list can still cast their votes by using their identity cards, he said.
For Indonesians who cannot do their political rights on Sunday, they neither lose their political rights because they can cast their votes until April 9, Akbar said.
"The election process is held at Indonesian Consulate General Office in Hong Kong and will be available until April 9. We decide to hold legislative election today ahead of the scheduled election in Indonesia because, on the weekend, more Indonesian workers are expected to participate," Akbar said.
Assisted by 105 election workers and volunteers, the voting process in Victoria Park would run peacefully and orderly, he said adding that holding the voting for Indonesia's general elections in a an open public space was the Hong Kong-based Overseas Election Committee's (PPLN) first experience.
Akbar said 4,800 of 102,000 registered voters had confirmed that they would send their paper ballots by mail.
Indonesia is holding two elections this year namely on April 9 to choose legislative members and on July 9 to vote new president.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Djoko Suyanto said earlier that the voter turnout of the 2014 general elections was expected to reach 75 percent or more.
He said the voter turnout of Indonesia's general elections has tended to decline since 1999 so that the government and the General Election Commission (KPU) had taken various efforts to increase it.
The government also hoped that the legislative elections on April 9 and the presidential election on July 9 would run smoothly, peacefully, safely, and fairly.
"None of election-related conflicts or acts of violence is expected to happen in the society and, to assure that, the people, security apparatus, and organizers must work together to prevent them. Any election complaint or protest must be reported through legal institutions," he said.