Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – A survey institute has predicted only 60 percent of Medan's almost 2 million eligible voters will turn out for the mayoral elections on May 12.
The findings are based on a survey conducted by the Indonesia Public Research Institute (LRPI) last week.
LRPI head Muhammad Rizal said that disinterested voters generally come from the labor, affluent and educated groups of community.
Rizal added that those who tended to avoid voting were in most cases familiar with the candidates, but were doubtful whether the candidates would seriously follow up their campaign promises.
The mayoral race features five pairs nominated by political parties and another five running independently. Campaigning started April 25 and will close on May 8.
The outdoor campaigns in the past three days have received poor attendance as residents chosen to work rather than join the campaign rallies.
People are filled with indifference and skepticism. "By working, we definitely know what we will get, but if we attend their campaign rally, we will only get tired. The candidates will never remember us when they are elected," Ali, an owner of coffee stall, said.
A blue-collar worker, Purwanto, said that he would not be voting in the election because none of the candidates care about the fate of the labor force. "We have demanded our rights for the past seven years and have each time been dismissed, they will never care. We will abstain from voting," said Purwanto, a former hotel employee.
The election commission and candidates have appealed to the public to turn out and vote. "We will what time we have left to encourage voters to take part in the elections," commission head Pandapotan Tamba said.
Meanwhile, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced it would accelerate the population census process at the end of this month in order to be completed before election.
Besides Medan municipality, a number of mayoralties and regencies in North Sumatra are scheduled to hold the elections in May and have begun the enumeration of the population in the past three days, by registering residents.
North Sumatra BPS spokesman Pendi Dewanto said the registration schedule for the regencies to hold the elections would take into consideration the end of the campaign period, when candidates are restricted from holding rallies and all political advertising and placards are taken down.
"No census taking will be done during the silence period. We will register the population as early as the end of April because we hope to complete the census by May 31," Pendi said.
Pendi explained the 2010 population census was different from that in 2000, in that this year's census was filled with more questions.
He cited the additional questions included housing and drinking water source.
"We expect the 2010 census could provide complete information on population, basic housing and demography, which could serve as a benchmark on Indonesia's development plan," he said, adding that BPS had deployed 28,253 attendants to carry out the census.