Gov't Assures Foreign Citizen Has No Voting Rights in Election

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Home Affairs Ministry’s director general for population and civil registration, Zudan Arif Fakrulloh, asserted that foreign citizen (WNA) having an electronic ID card or e-KTP does not have a right to vote in the 2019 election.

“E-KTP cannot be used for casting a ballot because a requirement to vote is Indonesian citizen (WNI),” said Zudan in the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, Tuesday, February 26.

An issue on Chinese foreign workers who have e-KTP has become viral after an image displaying an ID card of a foreign worker similar to the country’s e-KTP posted on social media. The foreign worker reportedly lived in Cianjur.

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Zudan explained that foreign citizens who have filled the requirement and gained a permanent residence permit are allowed to have e-KTP as regulated on Population Administration Law. “So, a foreigner is not forbidden to own e-KTP,” he added.

According to Zudan, foreign citizens must fulfill tight requirements to obtain e-KTP, including permanent residence permit issued by the immigration office. Besides, the ID card is not valid for a lifetime, but in a certain period that is noted in the citizenship status in the card.

Article 63 of Law on Population Administration stipulates that Indonesian Citizens and foreigners having permanent stay permit reaching the age of 17 (seventeen) years or having been married or used to be married shall be obligated to possess an e-KTP.

FRISKI RIANA