TEMPO.CO, Malang - The money politics practice is likely to happen in 141 polls (TPS) in Batu region where they would elect Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the 2017-2022 period.

The Head Supervisor for Batu General Elections, Salma Safitri, stated that the mapping data of money politics potential was released so that every stakeholder could together anticipate it.

“Pengawas di seluruh TPS pun sudah kami bekali dengan pengetahuan pengenalan karakter dan ciri politik uang di tempatnya bertugas,” kata Salma, Senin, 13 Februari 2017.

“We have informed all the election supervisors in every TPS the characteristic features of money politics [practice] at their posts,” Salma said on Monday, February 13, 2017.

Batu City will be the only region in East Java province that will participate in the 2017 simultaneous regional elections together with 17 other cities, 76 districts, and 7 provinces. The voting will be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.

The practice of money politics is prone to happen in 34 percent of its overall number of polling stations. From 193 polling stations at Batu District, 48 posts have the highest risk of money politics taking place, equal to 24.87 percent. Meanwhile, Bumiaji has 47 high-risk locations, and Junrejo has 46 high-risk locations.

Based on the mapping created by the supervisory committee, the potential of money politics happening in the mentioned regions is caused by the low level of education and welfare of the local people. They tend to be transactional in practicing their voting rights.

Salma reassured that the polling stations that are included in the mapping are closely watched. Their supervision not only focuses on the polling stations and parties that are directly involved in the regional head elections, but they are also keeping tabs on other parties that are not directly linked to the elections such as the gamblers or locally known as ‘botoh’.

The election in Batu is participated by four pairs of candidates, one of which is running the candidacy independently while the other three pairs of candidates are endorsed by known national political parties.

ABDI PURMONO