Posts from — 31 March 2009

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Ni Komang Erviani ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  DENPASAR   |  Tue, 03/31/2009 10:14 AM  |  Election 2009

This year’s general elections may be the most troubled yet, not only because of a flurry of last-minute changes in regulations but also because of the shifting of responsibility from the government to the General Elections Commission (KPU), says a researcher.

“The government’s apparent unwillingness to provide clear guidance to the KPU has shifted the burden of responsibility to unelected officials … and has created potential for a great deal of post-election disputation and uncertainty,” Stephen Sherlock, a consultant at the Australia-based Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI), said Monday at a meeting here. [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  KARANGASEM|  Sat, 03/21/2009 2:23 PM  |  The Archipelago

It was still early morning on Friday when Ni Luh Putu Sriyani left her house in Kerobokan village, Badung regency, to got to work at a private hospital on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Denpasar.

But unlike the other days, Sriyani was wearing a traditional kebaya blouse and carried a small traditional knife in her purse.

Together with her colleagues, Sriyani headed to Besakih temple, the largest in Bali, located in Karangasem regency.

The temple – located on the foothill of Mt. Agung, the highest mountain in Bali – was already busy with preparations for the once-in-a-decade Panca Wali Krama ritual, which will be held April 9, coinciding with voting day for the legislative elections.

Sriyani and her friends are performing ngayah to help prepare for the rare festival.

Ngayah or ngaturang ayah could be described as the practice of voluntarily working together for a customary or religious event. It is part Balinese societies strong sense of tradition.

Each person performs a voluntary duty according to his or her ability.

Sriyani decided to contribute her majejahitan skills and created various ceremonial objects from janur, or young coconut leaves.

Her co-worker Eka Wardani meanwhile brought a long a sapu lidi (broom made of coconut leaf bones) to sweep the pura yard.

For them taking part in preparing for Panca Wali Krama is a source of pride.

“I’m glad that I can help,” Sriyani quipped.

While Eka said she was happy to help, “although I could not do much,” she added modestly.

Hundreds of other Balinese Hindu contributed what they could on Friday to prepare for the festival, which will reach its peak on March 25 and April 9.

Organizing Committee Chairman I Wayan Gunatra said between 500 and 700 people from various parts of Bali had been coming to the temple everyday since Feb. 13.

“During weekends the volunteers can easily reach thousands of people,” he said.

Devotees not only contribute their skills but also what they can materially. The committee has received cash and goods worth a total of Rp 347 million (US$29,500) as of Friday.

Meanwhile, the Bali provincial administration has allocated some Rp 1.6 billion for a series of ceremonies which will end on April 24.

Gunatra, who is also the bendesa (customary leader) for Besakih, said volunteers had helped the committee a great deal, as carrying out all of its duties on its own would be impossible.

Panca Wali Krama, a ceremony believed to be able to cleanse the universe from all negative forces, requires massive amounts of ceremony paraphernalia in the form of flowers, janur, bamboo and other crops.

“The ngayah voluntary duty symbolizes a human’s devotion to the Almighty One as well as ensures the ceremony’s success,” Gunatra said.

Ni Komang Erviani , THE JAKARTA POST , DENPASAR | Wed, 03/11/2009 2:04 PM | Bali

Almost half of the candidates for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) representing Bali have yet to submit their wealth reports even though Wasti Atmodjo of the central KPU had set last Monday as the deadline for doing so.

The Bali General Elections Commission (KPUD) member, Dewa Raka Sandi, said Tuesday there were 13 out of 30 candidates who had yet to submit their reports. [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Tue, 03/10/2009 4:31 PM | Bali

Women’s rights activists across Bali celebrated International Women’s Day on Sunday by urging the public to vote for female candidates in the upcoming legislative elections.

Held at the Bajra Sandhi Monument in Renon, Denpasar, the celebration was attended by activists from various organizations, including Mitra Kasih, Bali Sruti, Woman Caucus, the Inter-Party Women Forum and the Women’s Organization Cooperation Body (BKOW).

Carrying banners reading “Let’s Vote for Women” and “No Woman, No Change”, the activists distri-buted 1,000 T-shirts and flyers to passing motorists and those in attendance. [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani , THE JAKARTA POST , KLUNGKUNG,BALI | Sun, 03/08/2009 9:18 AM | Headlines

Bali has been billed as one of the world’s top spiritual tourism destinations, but its potential has yet to be fully tapped, a seminar heard Saturday.

Wayan Wijayasa, an industry observer from the Denpasar Tourism Academy, said the fact was, spiritual tourism was already blooming in Bali. [Read more →]

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THE JAKARTA POST, Sat, 03/07/2009 2:19 PM  |  Bali

The current global financial crisis is hindering efforts to alleviate poverty in Indonesia, with the number of poor people expected to rise well above the government’s predictions, the Social Services Ministry’s secretary-general Chazali Situmorang said Thursday.

Speaking at a dissemination session for the 2009 social empowerment program at the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel, Chazali quoted an estimate by the National Development Planning Board that number of poor people was set to increase to 33.714 million, far more than the government’s estimate of 32.38 million. [Read more →]

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Ni Komang Erviani ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Sat, 03/07/2009 2:19 PM  |  The Archipelago

The recent Constitutional Court ruling has brought together in a solidarity campaign female candidates concerned about missing out on seats.

The court decided to award legislative seats to candidates who win the most votes

In a public dialogue titled “Vote for the Females”, held by the women’s rights NGO Forum Perempuan Mitra Kasih Bali, female legislative candidates agreed to work together to garner votes. [Read more →]

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Ni Komang Erviani ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  DENPASAR   |  Fri, 03/06/2009 1:53 PM  |  Bali

The Bali provincial administration established Thursday a special team to handle the investigation of the Develop Karangasem Cooperative (KKM).

KKM was shut down February for allegedly operation a Ponzi scheme.

Assistant to provincial secretary overseeing development affairs, Made Adidjaya, will head the team, which consists of representatives from the relevant provincial agencies, the Bali Provincial Police, the Bali Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, the Bali office of Bank Indonesia, the Bali Regional Development Bank (BPD), state-owned Bank BNI and former clients of the KKM. [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post. Thu, 03/05/2009 1:51 PM  |  Bali

Police officers examining the database of the Develop Karangasem Cooperative (KKM), a private co-op that was shut down for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme, have been stalled by the database’s confusing system, Bali Police Chief Insp. Gen. T. Ashikin Husein stated Wednesday.

Calling the database’s system both funny and complicated, he admitted it has been very challenging for his officers to compile a list of the co-op’s members. [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Thu, 03/05/2009 1:51 PM  |  Bali

An increased rate of HIV/AIDS among prostitutes and their clienteles has been registered along with a rise in the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in general among sex workers.

According to data from the Bali AIDS Commission (KPAD), the prevalence of sexual infection among sex workers rose to 14 percent last year, a huge jump from 3 percent in 2003. [Read more →]