Rebels, horses and cow carts: Indonesia prepares for mega polls
The Hindu
Indonesia prepares for one of the world's largest one-day elections, facing logistical challenges and security threats.
Indonesia will hold one of the world's biggest one-day elections next week — a mind-boggling feat that involves shifting votes by boat, plane and horseback across the vast archipelago of more than 278 million people.
On Wednesday, nearly 205 million will be eligible to vote in Presidential, Parliamentary and regional polls in just six hours of voting, with officials preparing for possible rainy season downpours, cyber-attacks and fraud.
The election will be held across three time-zones, beginning in easternmost province Papua where rebels are waging a deadly insurgency against the military.
Behind India and the United States, Indonesia is the world's third-largest democracy.
It is only the fifth Presidential election since the country emerged from autocratic rule less than three decades ago.
"The logistics distribution and the voting will happen in the rainy season," general election commission chairman Hasyim Asyari told reporters last year.
"We hope the worst won't happen."
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