To vote or to abstain

Following the latest official advice from a certain religious organization here, and in anticipation of the upcoming national election for Indonesian House of Representative, there's a talk that the same organization would launch a new advice regarding the increasing tendency of abstention. One of my contact in another website has launched a pooling to see how people would react to the possibility.

I'm against the would-be-advice, but I also don't approve the abstention act.

I understand that one of the reasons why many people choose to be passive in an election is that none of the options available is in their favor. But then, we should choose any lesser of two devils, right? Like my motivation in registering as legal taxpayer, I think by voting we also gain some legal rights in criticizing the elected government. If one choose to abstain, the person shouldn't feel it's his right to also eat and enjoy some fruit of increasing prosperity. Nor it's his right to protest any of government's mismanagement causing him suffered. When one choose to abstain, the person also give up the right and responsibility in making sure the government run within his approval.

Then, why am I against any religious interference in this matter? Simple, because it is every one's right to vote or abstain. Even God give us each a free will to choose our own way, either go to Heaven or Hell or just follow any road in sight. The main thing is every option has its own consequences, and we each have to accept and deal with that.
For your information, none of my votes win any elections. Furthermore, lately I lacked information about who or what I should choose. But it doesn't lessen my enthusiasm in participating in the upcoming national election. Hmmm....I think I would give my vote to the same side as before. Curious? No way would you know.....it's strictly confidential...hahaha!

I'm legally a registered taxpayer!!!!

Okay, I should have shouted that days before now. Preferably at the beginning of this January. But due to my too deeply-immersed-reading the TWILIGHT SAGA, I put the idea to the dark corner of my mind. Oh well, it's not the only idea I neglected nowadays....

The SUNSET POLICY launched by the Government to double-up registered taxpayers last year had made me thinking and re-thinking every other day whether I should register or not. The tax value I should pay each year is definitely not much. And there's a possibility that I would be free from paying the annual tax next year, according to the new tax rules. What advantage or benefit would I gain from this small-yet-contains-a-risk step?

My motivation is quite simple. By taking this step, I would have a legal right to criticize the government, especially in its finance management. After all, it's our tax money they use for the operational. It's like saying, "Hey, you couldn't ignore my opinion! I have a legal proof that I had donated a part of my income for your convenience, no matter how little its value but I had had to work hard to earn it. You have received it, use it well within my approval!"

So, in the next two months I would be facing the complicated works of filling in the annual tax report. Not only for the company where I'm working, but also for myself. Hopefully, it would be quite as simple as I think.