A water cannon, rifles, barbed wire and a bomb squad were used during a security simulation held at the National Police Academy in Bhayangkara Square, Semarang, on Friday.

Involving hundreds of police and military personnel, the simulation was held as Central Java'€™s security forces prepare for the gubernatorial election, which is slated for May 26.

The Central Java General Elections Commission (KPUD) had previously announced on Thursday that three pairs of candidates would contest the gubernatorial race.

They are incumbent Governor Bibit Waluyo, who is paired with academic Sudijono Sastroatmodjo, with support from the Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Golkar Party; lawmaker Ganjar Pranowo and running mate Purbalingga Regent Heru Sudjatmoko, who are supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P); and Central Java provincial secretary Hadi Prabowo and his running mate, Sumedang Regent Don Murdono, who have been nominated by the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Ulema Awakening Party (PKNU) and the People'€™s Conscience (Hanura) Party.

The three candidate pairs were seen watching the simulation on Friday.

'€œI have learned that the use of water cannon is less effective [than other measures]. The exhausted crowd became wild again when water was sprayed on them. We can use this in our evaluation feedback,'€ Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Didiek Sutomo Triwidodo said after the simulation.

The simulation depicted a situation in which hundreds of angry people were dissatisfied with the election result at a polling station and aimed to destroy the place.

The incident grew and anarchic behavior extended into urban areas.

Hundreds of police personnel, soldiers and public order officers were sent in as a mass force to get the situation under control. But the mob grew even wilder and began to taunt the security personnel by throwing stones and burning anything they could get their hands on. They also destroyed public facilities and looted shops.

In an attempt to regain order, the security personnel then used the water cannon on them, while members of the police'€™s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) managed to round up the looters.

It turned out that a bomb was also reported to have been placed inside the KPUD office. Brimob'€™s Gegana bomb squad was promptly deployed to the site to defuse the bomb.

'€œFrom this simulation we can see the speed with which the joint security apparatus secured the gubernatorial election,'€ Didiek said.

Separately, gubernatorial candidate Ganjar Pranowo said the simulation gave him confidence regarding the security surrounding the election.

'€œI hope a riot like this doesn'€™t happen during the upcoming gubernatorial election,'€ he said.

'€œI believe that the people of Central Java are peaceful and fair-minded.'€

The police will be deploying 22,600 personnel to secure the election. This figure excludes personnel from the military and other institutions.

The police also said that during the campaigning, election and post-election periods, each gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidate would be personally guarded by police officers.

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