- Title: Indonesian capital prepares to go to the polls
- Date: 18th April 2017
- Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (APRIL 18, 2017) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION OFFICE WOMEN LOOKING AT LIST OF VOTERS ON PINBOARD LIST OF VOTERS BEING LOOKED AT BALLOT BOXES IN ROOM SIGN GIVING LOCATION DETAILS STUCK ON SIDE OF BALLOT BOX ELECTION COMMISSION'S CHIEF OF MENTENG SUB-DISTRICT, IMAN SUWANDI, MOVING BALLOT BOX SUWANDI LOOKING AT BALLOT BOXES BALLOT BOX SEAL (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) ELECTION COMMISSION'S CHIEF OF MENTENG SUB-DISTRICT, IMAN SUWANDIM, SAYING: "We hope with our efforts, the participation rate will be higher than the first round." VARIOUS OF VENDOR WALKING IN SLUM AREA VARIOUS OF POSTERS ON FENCE SHOWING PHOTOGRAPHS OF JAKARTA ELECTION CANDIDATE ANIES BASWEDAN AND HIS RUNNING MATE, SANDIAGO UNO (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) UNKNOWN INDONESIAN RESIDENT OF LUAR BATANG SAYING: "For me as a Muslim, I think it's a gift from God. You're wrong because of blasphemy, we didn't make it up." (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) INDONESIAN RESIDENT OF LUAR BATANG, ASMAWATI, SAYING: "I'm a Muslim, I have to elect Muslim. I didn't elect him, (he got it) because Joko Widodo moved on to become president and he took over the governor job." ASMAWATI'S T-SHIRT READING "ANIES SANDI", REFERRING TO ANIES BASWEDAN AND SANDIAGO UNO ASMAWATI TALKING TO HER NEIGHBOUR JAKARTA, INDONESIA (APRIL 17, 2017) (REUTERS) AUDIENCE TAKING PICTURE OF JAKARTA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION CANDIDATES ON STAGE AT PEACE DECLARATION BASUKI TJAHAJA PURNAMA AND SANDIAGA UNO (WHITE SHIRT, RIGHT OF CENTRE) ON STAGE AT PEACE DECLARATION (FROM LEFT) JAKARTA ELECTION CANDIDATE BASUKI TJAHAJA PURNAMA (WEARING BATIK SHIRT), JAKARTA MILITARY CHIEF JASWANDI, JAKARTA POLICE CHIEF IRIAWAN, AND JAKARTA DEPUTY GOVERNOR CANDIDATE UNO (WEARING WHITE SHIRT) HOLDING HANDS ON STAGE PICTURE OF CANDIDATES BEING TAKEN WITH SMARTPHONE PURNAMA AND UNO READING PEACE DECLARATION TEXT ON STAGE
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 10:43
- Keywords: Indonesia election Jakarta governor preparation polls vote
- Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- City: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016CXDZ5X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Indonesia's capital on Tuesday (April 18) made last minute preparations ahead of the second round of a fiercely contested gubernatorial election that has been marred by blasphemy allegations against the incumbent governor.
Residents will now choose between two candidates when they head to the polls on Wednesday (April 19) - the current governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or the former education minister Anies Baswedan.
Purnama, Jakarta's first Christian and Chinese governor, was cruising toward a decisive victory in the election until last September when he lightheartedly dismissed a verse from the Koran that warns Muslims against allying with Christians and Jews.
Since then, Jakarta has seen a series of mass rallies led by hardline Islamists calling for Purnama to be jailed even as he was put on trial over allegations that he had insulted the Koran. Purnama denies what are regarded by critics as politicised charges.
In one Jakarta neighbourhood, Luar Batang, mass protests against Purnama led to a small clash between police and residents. The neighbourhood is set to be demolished to make way for a highly-criticised project led by Purnama that hopes to stop Jakarta from sinking.
Residents there say they are not prepared to re-elect him. "I'm a Muslim, I have to elect Muslim", said Asmawati.
On Monday (April 17), the chief of Jakarta's police and military held a peace declaration ahead of the election in the hopes it would help prevent chaos and protests. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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