Cetro calls on transparency on districts<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Centre for Electoral Reform (Cetro) has called on the
\nGeneral Elections Commission (KPU) to uphold transparency and
\nallow the public and political parties to examine the drawing up
\nof district boundaries for next year's general elections to avoid
\nany parties from being prejudiced.<\/p>\n
Smita Notosusanto, CETRO executive director, said a public
\nassessment on districting was necessary as the electoral law had
\nleft loopholes regarding the districting process.<\/p>\n
According to Smita, the problems on districting arise from the
\nfact that Election Law No. 12\/2003 requires one seat for a
\nmaximum of 425,000 people in densely populated districts and a
\nminimum of 325,000 people in less densely populated districts.<\/p>\n
But the law also requires that a district should not have less
\nseats than it had in the 1999 election, while a new province
\nshould have at least three seats.<\/p>\n
This means, for example, that North Sulawesi would still get
\nseven seats, as it had in 1999, although the province has since
\nbeen divided into two provinces: North Sulawesi and Gorontalo,
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
\"With those contradictory articles, the voters in some
\nprovinces will be overrepresented,\" she said.'<\/p>\n
According to Smita, the elections law had lessened respect for
\nthe principle of one person one vote one value.<\/p>\n
She also said that with such loopholes, the districting
\nprocess could become a tool that some political parties could use
\nto their advantage if districting was not conducted by an
\nindependent institution.<\/p>\n
\"If districting is not carried out fairly, it will prejudice
\nparticular groups of people, such as minority groups,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Smita, along with Abdillah Toha of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN), Pramono Anung of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan), and Khofifah Indar Parawansa of the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), was speaking during a seminar on
\ndistricting.<\/p>\n
Under the elections law, districting will be carried out by
\nthe General Elections Commission.<\/p>\n
Abdillah concurred with Smita, stressing that a province that
\nwas divided into two must be regarded as a new province to avoid
\noverrepresentation.<\/p>\n
Smita went on to say that districting should respect the
\nprinciple of one person one vote in so far as possible.<\/p>\n
Administrative boundaries should also be taken into
\nconsideration in the districting process, she said.<\/p>\n
District boundaries had to consider natural borders and
\ngeographical conditions, such as the presence of mountains,
\nrivers, transportation routes and telecommunications networks.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Pramono hailed Cetro's criticism of the elections
\nlaw, saying that presently all sides had to closely monitor the
\ndistricting process engaged in by the election commission.<\/p>\n
\"It is not possible to amend the elections law as it will
\ndisrupt the preparations for the 2004 elections,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Pramono gave assurances that his party would not attempt to
\ninfluence the election commission in the districting process. \"We
\nall just need clear rules of the game for the elections.\"<\/p>\n
THE JAKARTA POST -- THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2003 -- PAGE 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cetro-calls-on-transparency-on-districts-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }