East Java Police Urged to Remain Neutral During Election

Sumenep, East Java (Antara) - East Java Police Chief Inspector General Unggung Cahyono has called on his ranks and file to remain neutral in the presidential election. "The National Police (Polri) and all its members should remain neutral. All police personnel involved in maintaining election security in East Java should also remain neutral," Cahyono stated here on Tuesday. Cahyono was in Sumenep district on Madura Island to evaluate the local security situation and order ahead of the election. Cahyono emphasized that special attention was given to some districts on Madura Island by deploying additional security personnel to ensure that the elections are held safely and smoothly. "There were some incidents in Madura during the legislative election in April, and therefore, we have to give special attention," he added. In Mimika district, Papua province, some 700 police and military personnel were deployed to secure the presidential election. Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Jermias Rontini reported last Friday that of the total number, 100 will be from the police's mobile brigade, 100 from TNI, and the rest from the Mimika police office. Rontini stated that the security procedures will be similar to those implemented during the legislative election, which was held in April 2014. The police will guard the distribution of logistics to 573 polling stations spread across 12 sub-districts in Mimika district, on Friday. Papua provincial Police Chief Inspector General Tito Karnavian earlier instructed the deployment of additional security officers in polling stations, which are categorized as prone to security disturbances. The Papua police have identified five armed civilian groups of having the potential to disrupt the implementation of the upcoming presidential election. (*)