Enthusiastic candidate numbers shock KPU<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Beyond expectations, people have enthusiastically picked up
\nregistration forms to contest the regional representatives
\nelection next year, prompting the General Elections Commission
\n(KPU) to extend the registration period from July 14 to July 21.<\/p>\n
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Monday the
\ncommission would accommodate as many applicants as possible
\nwithin the extra period.<\/p>\n
\"We welcome the increasing demand at the provincial level, but
\nthere will be no change in the deadline set for the registrants
\nto return their forms,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The commission will receive registration forms from July 15 to
\nSept. 8, Each registrant must be supported by 3,000 people, with
\ncopies of ID cards belonging to the supporters attached to his or
\nher registration form.<\/p>\n
As of Monday, 300 people had picked up registration forms in
\nJakarta, 111 in Banten, 78 in West Java, 53 in East Java, 80 in
\nRiau, 105 in Lampung, 71 in Bengkulu, 70 in South Sulawesi, 24 in
\nCentral Sulawesi, 14 in East Kalimantan, 37 in Bali, 54 in South
\nKalimantan and seven in Maluku, according to KPU data.<\/p>\n
Only a few of the people were women. For example, only three
\nwomen took registration forms in East Java, six women in Riau and
\nseven in South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah admitted that the registration
\nprocess started late in some provinces. He said that in Maluku,
\nregistration forms became available to the public from July 12,
\nfour days later than the KPU schedule.<\/p>\n
The amended 1945 Constitution adopts a bicameral system, in
\nwhich the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) will form the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
The Constitution states that the maximum number of regional
\nrepresentatives is one third of the number of House legislators.<\/p>\n
Law No. 12\/2003 on general elections stipulates that the DPR
\nwill consist of 550 legislators.<\/p>\n
With every province electing four regional representatives,
\nthere will be 120 seats at stake across 30 provinces in next
\nyear's election of DPD members.<\/p>\n
However, the possibility remains open that the DPD will add
\nmore seats due to plans to form new provinces.<\/p>\n
Under the Constitution, the DPD could propose and deliberate
\nbills concerning, among other things, regional autonomy,
\nrelations between the central and regional governments, the
\nestablishment of new administrative areas and the financial
\nbalance between the central and regional governments. It could
\nalso supervise the implementation of the bills.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said now that people were registering for regional
\nrepresentatives seats, election monitoring organizations should
\nbegin screening the candidates.<\/p>\n
\"The DPD will comprise people's representatives based on
\nprovinces. The monitoring of candidates must ensure that
\npoliticians will not dominate seats in the DPD. Candidates from
\npolitical parties should compete to get seats in the DPR to avoid
\ndouble representatives of parties in the DPR and the DPD,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Monitoring must also minimize vote-buying and ensure that a
\ncandidate lives in the province where he or she nominates him or
\nherself, he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/enthusiastic-candidate-numbers-shock-kpu-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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