Jakarta – Village heads threatened to boycott the 2014 presidential and legislative elections during a mass rally held in front of the House of Representatives, Jakarta, on Wednesday, if legislators failed to pass a draft bill on villages.

"We won't vote for our legislative candidates if the House refuses to pass the draft bill. We will also tell our people to do the same because such a refusal [by the House] means they do not care about villages," said Village Reform Forum (FPD) spokesperson Sugeng Wiyono in Jakarta on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Other rally orators also threatened to boycott the legislative election and presidential elections if the House refused to pass the village bill. "We will boycott the elections in every village," said one of the orators.

Other speakers said that they could not guarantee village polling stations (TPS) if the House refused to pass the draft bill. "I can guarantee you there will be no polling stations in villages during elections," said the orator.

Village heads and other village officials from across the country participated in the rally, which began Wednesday morning. The rally was peaceful. (ebf)