Ambon Mayor Urges Regional Officials To Wear Traditional Clothes When Voting

Acting Mayor of Ambon Bodew Wattimena. (ANTARA)

Acting Ambon Mayor Bodew Wattimena appealed to the leaders of regional apparatus organizations (OPD), kings, village heads and village heads to wear traditional Maluku regional clothes when going to polling stations (TPS) in the 2024 General Election.

"When I came to the TPS, I appealed to the leaders of the OPD, village head, village head and king to wear Maluku characteristic clothes such as cele or baniang clothes, as a form of people who are confident and cultured," said Bodew Wattimena, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, February 12.

He said the OPD leadership must be an example of realizing elections that are orderly and cultured, and respecting differences for the sake of community togetherness.

"I ask that when we are present at the TPS, use regional clothes to be documented and distributed on social media, so that the Indonesian people know that from eastern Indonesia we respect diversity in the democratic process," he said.

Bodewin stated that in addition to using regional clothes, it is hoped that the TPS will also display cultural characteristics.

For example, at the TPS in the New Red area, Zamrah dances can be performed, or hadrat music when voters come to channel their voting rights at the TPS.

Or TPS in other areas in Ambon can also be shown ukulele music or other Maluku cultural arts.

"We want our cultural value not to be eroded by foreign culture, so that it has an extraordinary impact so that we are different from other regions," he said.

His party tried to make the implementation of the election safe and peaceful, not being used by certain parties, but receiving support from the TNI and Polri and community leaders to provide education.

Democracy parties, indirectly parties should be happy not to be afraid, threats or intimidation.

"We hope that cultural diversity that is displayed through local wisdom and the characteristics of the traditional order of the country can realize overflowing, jurdil and cultured elections," said Bodewin.

He added that the use of regional clothes during the election was the idea of the Ambon City Latupati Council which was later implemented and would become a tradition not only in the General Election but also in the 2024 simultaneous regional elections.