ABU DHABI // Indonesian expatriates trooped to their embassy and consulate yesterday to vote in their parliamentary elections.
Voters turned up at the embassy in Al Bateen as early as 8am to cast their ballots.
“It’s a big day for Indonesians here in Abu Dhabi as we choose our leaders for the next five years,” said Salman Al Farisi, the Indonesian ambassador. “Inshallah it will be a definitive day for us.”
The General Election Commission has introduced measures allowing out-of-country voting ahead of the April 9 general elections in Indonesia.
Indonesians back home can vote for four different assemblies – at the national, provincial and district or city level and the Regional Representative Council, Indonesia’s senate.
However, Indonesians abroad only get to cast a vote for the People’s Representative Council, the assembly at the national level, which covers south and central Jakarta.
They need to select from 12 national political parties each with seven candidates with the exception of the Justice and Prosperity Party which only fielded six candidates. One needs to get at least 300,000 votes to get a seat in parliament.
Gito Susanto, 33, a civil engineer who has lived in the UAE for seven years, came all the away from Al Ain to vote.
“My vote will make a difference,” he said. “A swing vote is crucial in any election. We are voting for the future of our country.”
Emi Anisah, a 48-year-old Indonesian housewife and a former member of the parliament in 1982, agreed.
“We need to elect good leaders and fight corruption in government,” she said. “We should let our voice be heard even if we there are fewer voters outside our country.”
A total of 7,379 Indonesians in the Abu Dhabi emirate had signed up for the elections, according to Johan Arwansyah, the head of the Indonesia election committee in Abu Dhabi.
“About 4,000 are expected to personally cast their votes at the embassy, while the rest are expected to vote by mail,” he said. “We hope to receive their ballots before April 15, when we transmit the election results to Jakarta.”
By 6pm, the election committee reported a low voter turnout of 807.
Votes were cast on paper ballots and will be counted by hand and tabulated manually.
Of the 7,800 registered voters in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, only 1,010 cast their ballot at the consulate when voting ended at 6pm, said Nasrudin Mawardi, headof the Indonesian election committee in Dubai.
“Busloads of voters arrived from Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain,” he said. “It seems more people were interested to vote from the Northern Emirates than in Dubai.”
The outcome of this election will be instrumental to Indonesia’s third direct presidential elections on July 9, when voters will elect a president for a five-year term.
Indonesia’s main opposition party is set to win a convincing victory at legislative elections on April 9, boosted by the nomination of the popular Jakarta governor as their presidential candidate, a survey of 2,000 people by private pollster Roy Morgan Research showed.
rruiz@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
More on Quran memorisation:
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances