Overseas voting proceeding smoothly: Foreign Ministry

“Though our envoys are not the election organizers, Minister Retno Marsudi has asked all envoys, as a form of moral responsibility, to monitor and ensure the election’s success (for Indonesian voters) overseas,”

The Foreign Ministry has affirmed that voting for the 2024 General Elections at polling stations abroad is proceeding smoothly and so far, issues arising on voting day have been managed properly.

“So far, everything has proceeded smoothly. Though there are issues here and there, our envoys and PPLNs (overseas electoral organizers) in each country can resolve the issues properly,” ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhamad Iqbal said in a short message on Monday.

Though the General Elections Commission (KPU) has set February 14, 2024, as Election Day, the agency has allowed overseas electoral organizers to open polling stations earlier. However, the counting process will take place on the same day as in Indonesia, that is, February 14–15.

Iqbal said that as Indonesian election organizations overseas are subject to the local laws in their respective countries, support and assistance from Indonesian representatives are required.

“Though our envoys are not the election organizers, Minister Retno Marsudi has asked all envoys, as a form of moral responsibility, to monitor and ensure the election’s success (for Indonesian voters) overseas,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, head of the General Elections Commission (KPU), Hasyim Asy’ari, affirmed that the conduct of elections at polling stations overseas is proceeding smoothly, with all voters exercising their voting rights.

“Praise be to God, reports showed that the election process (at polling stations) overseas proceeded smoothly, despite our concerns, particularly at (polling stations in) Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia),” Asy’ari informed after monitoring election conduct at a polling station in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (February 11).

He said that the KPU will examine all findings of procedural errors at overseas voting stations and, if necessary, take corrective action.