There are still some issues with the implementation of health protocol in the 2020 regional elections (Pilkada). Beyond that, adherence to health protocol remains key to preventing the transmission of Covid-19.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·6 minutes read
KOMPAS/KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI
An officer drips ink on voters\' fingers during the 2020 Pilkada simulation, Saturday (11/21/2020), at Bantik Field, Malalayang I, Manado, North Sulawesi.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Election organizers continue to strive to ensure that voters and officials at each polling station (TPS) are not infected with Covid-19 during the 2020 regional election on Dec. 9. However, a number of problems remain to be solved. For instance, there are still officials at some TPS who have not undergone Covid-19 testing, personal protective equipment has not been received everywhere, and some polling stations’ location is not in accordance with health protocol.
Problems are rife in Sabu Raijua and East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), for example. NTT General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Thomas Dohu said on Monday (7/12/2020) that 6,786 members of the polling station working committees (KPPS) in the two regencies could not take the rapid test.
"A total of 6,786 KPPS members, including security officials, in Sabu Raijua and East Sumba regencies did not participate in the rapid testing due to limited rapid test equipment and reagent materials," he said.
They were only required to undergo an examination at community health centers (Puskesmas) to get certificates of being free from influenza or similar diseases related to Covid-19. In fact, the KPU requires every KPPS officer to undergo a rapid test before taking office on the polling day. This is to prevent exposure to Covid-19.
Similar problems have arisen in Papua’s Mamberamo Raya regency. According to the head of the Papua KPU, Theodorus Kossay, rapid test kits were not available.
Apart from problems with Covid-19 rapid tests, not all personal protective equipment (PPE) for KPPS officers at TPS has been received. In Indramayu regency, for instance, according to a KPU Indramayu member, Pitrahari, latex gloves have not yet arrived. She said she hoped the PPE tools would arrive a day before the vote, namely on Tuesday (8/12).
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Officers count the number of ballots in the Simultaneous Regional Election 2020 voting simulation activity in the Cilenggang area, Serpong, South Tangerang on Saturday (12/9/2020).
Moreover, 24 KPPS officials tested positive for Covid-19 in swab tests. They underwent swab testing after rapid test results indicated they had contracted the coronavirus.
Pitrahari said those who were positive would not be on duty during the voting. "If at one TPS there is one positive KPPS official, he will not be replaced. If there are more than one, they must be replaced with people from educational institutions around the TPS," she said.
In other areas, such as in Bandar Lampung and 12 regencies/cities in South Sulawesi, hundreds of KPPS officers had also been declared Covid-19 positive. Those who were positive would not be on duty on the voting day. In South Sulawesi, if the number of KPPS officers at one TPS is less than five, a replacement will be found from another TPS.
Vulnerable TPS
In a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) said there were 1,023 polling stations where election organizers tested positive for Covid-19. Moreover, there were 1,420 polling stations whose location was not in accordance with the Covid-19 health protocol, such as in narrow locations or indoors.
The thousands of polling stations are part of the 49,390 polling stations seen by Bawaslu to be vulnerable. These vulnerable polling stations are spread across 21,250 villages/subdistricts in 31 provinces. The total number of TPS in the 2020 Pilkada is 298,939.
Vulnerability with some TPS stems from the fact that they are difficult to reach for geographical, weather-related or security-related reasons, that they are difficult to access for people with disabilities, or that their voters do not meet the requirements or meet the requirements but are not registered in the voter list.
"For polling stations that are categorized as vulnerable, it is necessary to prepare anticipatory and coordinated steps, so that adverse consequences can be anticipated," said Bawaslu member Mochammad Afifuddin.
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Gloves are mandatory equipment in the Simultaneous Regional Election 2020 voting simulation activities in the Cilenggang area, Serpong, South Tangerang on Saturday (12/9/2020).
KPU commissioner I Dewa Wiarsa Raka Sandi urged the organizers at the TPS to ensure that the establishments meet the requirements, including health protocol adherence. Constraints faced in the field should be coordinated to find solutions.
Based on the KPPS Guidebook published by the KPU, the location of a TPS must be determined by paying attention to the ease of enforcing health protocol to prevent and control Covid-19. The TPS should have an area of 10 meters x 8 meters or be adjustable to local conditions and pay attention to health protocol.
Distribution target
With regard to PPE and other regional elections logistics, KPU Chairman Arief Budiman said the distribution was continuing. The distribution of infrared thermometers and latex gloves, procurement of which had been hampered, currently exceeded 87 percent. All logistics, including PPE, was targeted to arrive at the polling stations at least one day before the vote.
Arief said the KPU was doing its best to keep regional elections organizers, regional election participants and voters safe from exposure to Covid-19. Therefore, various health protocols had been devised.
Among other things, the KPU urged voters to come to the TPS according to the time of attendance written on the invitation letter. The schedule aims to prevent an accumulation of voters at the same time.
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Chairman of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Abhan (center) accompanied by Bawaslu Member Mochammad Afifuddin (left) and Bawaslu Member Fritz Edward Siregar (right), holding a press conference at the Bawaslu Office, Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta, Monday (15/6/2020).
When voting, voters are asked to wear masks and bring their own stationery. If someone does not wear a mask, the KPU provides masks for 20 percent of the number of voters at the polling station.
We protect voters by implementing the health protocols from entering to leaving the polling stations.
Also, when going to the TPS, voters are asked to queue with a distance of 1 meter. They are obliged to wash their hands in the space provided. Every voter has their body temperature checked. If the temperature is more than 37.3 degrees Celsius, voters are asked to vote in a special booth. When going to vote, voters are given gloves by the KPPS. As a sign that they have voted, their fingers are dripped in ink, they are no longer immersed in a bottle.
"We protect voters by implementing the health protocols from entering to leaving the polling stations. However, it is better if the implementation of health protocol is carried out from the time of leaving home to returning home,” said Arief.
The spokesperson for the Covid-19 Mitigating Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, said that, if all voters followed the health protocols, polling stations would be safe from infection. Therefore, if anyone violated protocol, the authorities should take firm action.
Executive director of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati noted that PPE was not a complementary item. This equipment had to be at the polling stations, because it would give voters confidence that they would not catch Covid-19 when they come to the polling stations.
/https%3A%2F%2Fkompas.id%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2Fc158a4a4-ef34-4606-a274-f05bf9be348c_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
