Commission fails to decide on legislative seats<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) failed to
\nreach a decision on Monday on the allocation of legislative seats
\ndue to 11 newly established regencies.<\/p>\n
\"We have to count again,\" commission chairman Rudini said
\nafter a one-hour meeting at the KPU office in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Last week the 53 members of the commission began to determine
\nthe distribution of legislative seats for the 316 regencies
\nacross the country, based on the ratio of number of seats and a
\nregency's population as stipulated in the law on elections.<\/p>\n
Rudini said last week the 11 new regencies approved by the
\nHouse of Representatives last month would not be included in the
\nupcoming election, saying they would not be prepared for the June
\npoll.<\/p>\n
On Monday, however, the director general for general
\nadministration and regional autonomy, Ryaas Rasyid, said the new
\nregencies had to be included in the election, bringing the total
\nnumber of regencies to 327.<\/p>\n
The law on elections stipulates that the KPU is responsible
\nfor determining the number of seats in the legislature for each
\nregency.<\/p>\n
\"The Ministry of Home Affairs will give details on Tuesday
\nabout the population of each regency and district to provide us
\naccurate information and help us avoid miscounting in our
\nallocation of legislative seats,\" Rudini said.<\/p>\n
The commission had based its earlier calculations on data
\nprovided by the ministry for the 316 regencies.<\/p>\n
Among the new mayoralties and regencies are the Cilegon and
\nDepok mayoralties in West Java and the Singkil and North Luwu
\nregencies in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The commission also had a heated debate on whether to allocate
\n13 legislative seats for East Timor's 13 regencies. The
\npopulation of East Timor is some 800,000 people. The elections
\nlaw states that each regency is entitled to one seat.<\/p>\n
\"Some KPU members said it was unfair for East Timor to have
\nsuch a large amount of representatives... compared to other
\ndensely populated provinces,\" Rudini said.<\/p>\n
Ryaas explained that in the past East Timor, because of its
\nrelatively small regencies, was only represented by four seats.<\/p>\n
Despite a direct ballot scheduled for July to determine
\nwhether East Timor will remain a part of Indonesia, Ryaas
\nreiterated that the province would participate in the election.<\/p>\n
Rudini also said the KPU was awaiting a presidential decision
\non whether to allow members of the National Police -- which was
\nseparated from the Armed Forces on Thursday -- to participate in
\nthe June 7 poll.<\/p>\n
\"We have to check on the status of the police after their
\nseparation from the Armed Forces. If they are categorized as
\ncivil servants, they may join the balloting.\"<\/p>\n
\"But if they are still considered as members of the
\nmilitary... they cannot join the poll,\" Rudini said.<\/p>\n
There are some 200,000 police officers in the country.<\/p>\n
The commission also voted on whether to use transparent or
\nwooden ballot boxes in the election.<\/p>\n
Germany has offered a donation of 10,000 transparent ballot
\nboxes. At least 753,000 ballot boxes will be needed for 251,000
\npolling booths across the country.<\/p>\n
The results of the vote were not available. Rudini said the
\ncommission had decided on the colors of the ballot boxes: white
\nfor House of Representative members, pink for provincial
\nlegislators and dark gray for regency legislators.<\/p>\n
Rudini also disclosed that the printing of ballot sheets would
\nbegin on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"We will use additional printing companies if the nine
\ncompanies licensed by the State Intelligence Coordinating Agency
\nfail to print the sheets on time.\"<\/p>\n
The printing companies will be supervised by the KPU and the
\npolice.<\/p>\n
For the general election, 400 million ballot sheets will be
\nneeded for the three electoral levels, or roughly 133 million
\nballot sheets each for the central, provincial and district
\nlevels.<\/p>\n
Separately in Yogyakarta, Central Java, KPU member Adi Andojo
\nSutjipto reiterated that every case of poll fraud must be brought
\nto court. \"This is important to teach people to abide by the
\nlaw.\" (edt\/44)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/commission-fails-to-decide-on-legislative-seats-1447893297",
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