First direct elections in Aceh regions postponed<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While other regions across the country are gearing up to hold the
\nfirst direct regional elections in June, five regencies in Aceh
\nwill have to postpone the event following the tsunami disaster.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf said on Monday that
\nregional elections in five regencies of Aceh including Calang,
\nMeulaboh and the mayoralty of Banda Aceh will be postponed
\nindefinitely.<\/p>\n
The three areas were severely affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami.<\/p>\n
\"Public facilities have been badly damaged, and officials are
\nnot ready and residents are still suffering,\" he told reporters
\nafter a breakfast meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nat the Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
Ma'ruf could not say when residents in the five regencies
\ncould exercise their right to elect their respective leaders
\ndirectly.<\/p>\n
\"We don't know yet because these regencies are still under
\nemergency rule,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ma'ruf said that the President would issue a presidential
\ndecree on the postponement.<\/p>\n
Various regions across the country are set to hold regional
\nelections in June to directly elect more than 200 regional
\nleaders including regents, mayors and governors whose terms will
\nend soon.<\/p>\n
The government has ruled that other regencies in Aceh, which
\nsurvived the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, must conduct the
\nregional election as scheduled, including voting for a new
\ngovernor.<\/p>\n
Aceh's current governor, Abdullah Puteh, was suspended by the
\nPresident after he was charged with corruption last year.<\/p>\n
For Papua, Ma'ruf said that the government would conduct the
\nelection in line \"with existing legislation\", referring to a
\ngovernment regulation on the establishment of the Papua People's
\nAssembly (MRP) and Law No. 21\/2001 on special autonomy in Papua.<\/p>\n
\"We'll push for the establishment of the MRP first (before
\nconducting the election),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced
\nthat it would issue national guidelines for KPU branches (KPUDs)
\nin a bid to standardize the regional election process across the
\ncountry, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
KPU Chairman Nazaruddin said that the technical guidance, such
\nas budgeting and ballot logistic preparations, was mandatory for
\nKPUDs as it would be the first experience for all of them in
\nconducting regional elections.<\/p>\n
\"Currently, different KPUDs have different guidelines for
\nregional elections. They must be standardized nationally,\" he
\ntold reporters after a meeting with the House of
\nRepresentatives's Commission III on legal and human rights.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/first-direct-elections-in-aceh-regions-postponed-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}