Several foreign observers from 12 countries have visited Indonesia to monitor the implementation of the ongoing regional head elections (pilkada) being held simultaneously in 171 regions across the country on Wednesday.

The foreign observers came from Australia, Switzerland, and several Asian countries, among others.

Several foreign embassies and three international election monitoring organizations have also sent their representatives to observe the third simultaneous pilkada ever organized by the Indonesian government so far.

At least 20 civil organizations of Indonesia have also sent observers to monitor the implementation of pilkada at various polling stations.

Three members of the Election Supervision Body -- Mochammad Afifuddin, Fritz Edward Siregar, and Rahmat Bagja -- will also personally monitor the implementation of pilkada.

Afifuddin will monitor polling in Tangerang, Banten Province; Siregar in Bogor City; and Bagja in Bogor District.

Meanwhile, some 150 foreigners from 24 countries participated in an election visit program in Surabaya, East Java, to observe the pilkada 2018.

The foreigners were from Fiji, Egypt, South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others.

Over 152 million Indonesians were expected to go to polls to elect 17 governors, 39 mayors, and 115 district heads during the pilkada 2018 for the 2018-2023 term.

The government declared the local election day as a national holiday.

Based on data of the General Elections Commission, the total number of eligible voters for the pilkada 2018 reached 152,067,680 comprising some 76 million female voters and 75 million male voters.

The Commission estimated that the total turnout will reach more than 70 percent.

The 17 provinces holding pilkada were East Java, Central Java, West Java, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, Riau, Maluku, Bali, Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, Papua, North Maluku, and Lampung.

Indonesia had organized simultaneous pilkada peacefully in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

A total of 171,507 police personnel; 36,968 TNI or military forces; and 756,470 community guards were deployed to ensure security during elections.

Brigadier General Rikwanto, head of the multimedia bureau of the Indonesia Police`s Public Relations Division, said recently that security forces stood guard to ensure security in 392,226 precincts set up for the elections. (ANTARA)