Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – A voter education group distributed educational brochures for the gubernatorial election Thursday to encourage people to use their right to vote.

Volunteers from the People's Voter Education Network stood at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta to give brochures to passing vehicles.

The brochure shows the profiles of the candidates along with what the candidate's responses to what the group identified as Jakarta's problem areas, including traffic congestion, floods, waste management and the economy.

The education network is comprised of Islamic mass organizations from Nahdatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, interfaith communities, universities and radio news networks. The network was established in 1999 and is aimed at improving the public's participation in local issues and political processes.

Approximately 1,000,000 brochures on the Jakarta gubernatorial election would be distributed through supermarkets, churches, mosques and many other places, the network said.

National coordinator of the network, Jeirry Sumampow, said they asked people to be realistic "and just accept the two available candidates regardless their weaknesses".

"They are not supermen who will solve all problems perfectly," Jeirry said.

"That is why we have to know the candidates' profiles and responses to important issues to prepare ourselves to use our right at the election. To choose means we are responsible for the process of democracy of the city," he said.

It is estimated approximately 22 percent or 1.3 million from about 5.7 million eligible voters in the city are not registered.

Jakarta will host the first-ever gubernatorial election on August 8. The election campaign would take place for 14 days starting Sunday.

On-leave deputy governor Fauzi Bowo and running mate Prijanto are set to take on Adang Daradjatun, the former deputy chief of the National Police, and running mate Dani Anwar, a politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Further to the educational work of the network, the Jakarta Elections Supervisory Committee has invited the public to report alleged election-related violations.

But committee spokesperson Kamsul Hasan said, "we will not follow up reports or complaints from anyone, including gubernatorial candidates or their campaign team, if it is made more than a week after the date of the incident".

Kamsul said the committee would keep a record of all complaints made however regardless of whether or not they were able to act on them.

He made the statement after the committee signed Wednesday a memorandum of understanding with police and Jakarta's high court on integrated law enforcement around Jakarta gubernatorial election.

Kamsul said the committee would be the only vehicle for reports or complaints on election-related cases.

"The committee will sort through the reports or complaints first to determine whether the violation is administrative or criminal," he said.

"The administrative cases will be handled by the committee, while the criminal reports will be submitted to the police before being reported to the Jakarta High Court."

The poll watchdog has repeatedly called on the public to report violations ahead of the election.