An Indonesia policeman walks next to decorative umbrellas resemble to Indonesia's national flag "Red and White" during a security roll call for the upcoming general elections in Bogor, West Java on April 10, 2019. AFP / Adek Berry
Doha: Indonesians in Qatar can vote on Friday (April 12) as part of the country’s general elections which is to be held on 17 April, says a statement from the embassy.
The voting will take place at four places in Qatar: Doha, Messaied-Wakra, Dukhan and Al Khor. The statement thanked Qatar government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating the voting outside the embassy premises.
Across Qatar, 17 polling station will be setup apart from the two drop boxes for offshore and onshore workers.
It’s first time in Indonesia that election to the office of the President and the Vice President, and members of People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) takes place on the same day.
While the domestic voters cast five ballot papers, overseas voters cast only two ballots, namely, for legislative candidates and the president and the vice-president candidates.
The embassy said the “election abroad is carried out faster” than that inside the country.
In Qatar, the election is to take place between afternoon, 1.00 PM, and well into late evening 9.00 PM on Friday. This 1300- 2100 timing is to “serve Indonesians living In Qatar who are working in different shifts.
Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar, Muhammad Basri Sidehabi told The Peninsula last year: “It is our hope that the sponsors and companies in Qatar allow the Indonesian citizens to fulfill their civic duty”
Last year, an ‘Overseas Election Committee’ has sworn in Qatar to prepare “voter list of approximately 12,000 people from a total fixed registered voters (DPT) 11976 and another additional registered voters of approximately (DPK) 236 in the 2019 simultaneous elections.”
There are two methods of voting in Qatar, “Overseas Polling Station (TPSLN) and Mobile Ballot Boxes (KSK), better known as Drop Boxes.”
The embassy urged all voters to bring their original passport and or Replacement passport such as SPLP and FORM A5 to polling places.
