JAKARTA - CAMPAIGNING for Indonesia's general election kicks off today, but many voters are still unsure which candidates they will cast their ballots for.

Polling to pick national, provincial and district leaders will be held on April 9.

In a survey last month by four pollsters, including the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a private think-tank, more than half of the 3,000 or so people surveyed said they either did not know which party they would vote for or could change their minds on the day itself.

Ms Sri Budi Eko Wardani, the director of one of the pollsters, Puskapol UI, told The Jakarta Globe newspaper last week that voters just had too many parties and candidates to choose from.

She added: 'It also shows that only a few legislative candidates actually meet the people in their regions to introduce their programmes and goals.'

The public's insipid reaction to the polls stems from other factors as well.

Many are more interested in July's presidential election and whether the relatively popular President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will keep his post.

Others are confused by the April polls - Indonesia's third independent general election since the fall of former dictator Suharto in 1998.

The problem is that, along with democracy, election laws have evolved and the number of political parties has burgeoned.

This year, 38 parties - 14 of which did not exist at the time of the 2004 election - have thrown their hats into the ring. They are sending about 12,000 candidates to fight for 560 seats in the national Parliament. Thousands more are seeking a spot in the 132-seat regional council, which can lobby national lawmakers on selected Bills. Many voters are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.

Read the full story in today's edition of The Straits Times.