Jakarta – Indonesian police will deploy up to 24,000 personnel to safeguard legislative and presidential elections in restive regions next year, a report said Tuesday.

The officers will be posted to Aceh, Central Sulawesi, Papua and Maluku provinces, national operations director Inspector General Dewa Astika was quoted by Koran Tempo newspaper as saying.

"If it is felt to be insufficient on the field, we will seek the assistance of troops of the Indonesian armed forces," Astika said.

He said some 14,000 personnel would be deployed in Aceh, where troops and police are battling separatist rebels, and the three other regions would receive around 3,000 personnel each.

Maluku and Central Sulawesi are both recovering from years of conflict between Christians and Muslims which left thousands dead and made tens of thousands refugees.

The Free Papua Movement has for years waged a sporadic low-level revolt against the government in resource-rich Papua.

Indonesia will go to the polls on April 5 to elect a national and regional parliaments. On July 5 it will hold the first round of its first direct presidential election.