Indonesian expats cast their vote in Dubai

Dubai - The counting of votes will be held on April 17.

Indonesian expats in Dubai went out to vote for their next President, Vice President, and members of local and national legislatures on Friday.
The overseas election was held at the Indonesian Consulate in Bur Dubai, where close to 5,000 Indonesian expats were expected to exercise their right to vote.
"We are here to chart the destiny of our county in the next five years and beyond,"
Indonesian Consul-General Ridwan Hassan told Khaleej Times.

"One major concern for Indonesian expats is to look for economic opportunities when they return home after working several years abroad. If they choose the right leaders, they will help our country have a strong economy and create more opportunities," he explained.

Incumbent Indonesian President Joko Widodo is seeking re-election. He is running with Ma'ruf Amin, a popular senior Muslim cleric. The opposing presidential candidate is Prabowo Subianto, a former military general, who is paired with Mr. Sandiaga Uno, former deputy governor of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. Around 20,000 seats in the national board and local councils are also being contested by 16 national parties and four local parties in the Aceh Province.

In Dubai, there are eight polling precincts at the Indonesian Consulate to accommodate the 4,802 eligible Indonesian voters in Dubai and the northern emirates, according to Hassan.
The counting of votes will be held on April 17, same day as the elections and counting of votes in Indonesia.

The Committee of Overseas General Election (Panitia Pemilihan Luar Negeri - PPLN) will oversee the elections and will be supervised by the Election Supervisory Committee (Panitia Pengawas Pemilihan Umum - Panwaslu).

angel@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai