General Elections Commission receives 'death' threat<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan and Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) received on Tuesday an
\nanonymous package containing 11 live bullets addressed to each of
\nits members and a letter demanding that the Commission adopt
\ncertain specifications in the tender of ballot boxes for the
\nelections next year.<\/p>\n
It was the first time the commission received a threat since
\nit began operating almost two years ago as an independent body.<\/p>\n
A staff member at KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin's office
\nsaid she received the suspicious A4-size envelope, which was
\ndelivered in person by an unidentified man at about 5:00 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"I have never seen this man before. He just handed the letter
\nto us and disappeared,\" she told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"From its cover, it looks like the letter came from Bakin, and
\nis addressed to Pak Nazaruddin and Mulyana W. Kusumah (KPU
\nmember). It is shocking, as the letter contains 11 bullets,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Bakin is the former State Intelligence Coordinating Board,
\nwhich was replaced by the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) in
\nOctober 2000.<\/p>\n
Three KPU employees brought the package to the Menteng Police,
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The police found the second page of the letter said the KPU
\nwas to provide ballot boxes made of steel or an alloy of steel
\nand aluminum. It also specified that the tender for the
\nprocurement of the steel ballot boxes must be awarded to local
\nbusinessmen, while the tender for the procurement of the alloy
\nballot boxes must be given to Chinese-Indonesian businessmen.<\/p>\n
\"Don't force us to commit murder. The choice is in your
\nhands,\" read the first page of the letter, written in red.<\/p>\n
The police discovered two FN bullets the sender said were for
\nNazaruddin and Mulyana, and nine CIS bullets addressed to the
\nother members of the Commission.<\/p>\n
Mulyana is in charge of the ballot box tenders.<\/p>\n
Security at the KPU office on Jl. Imam Bonjol is apparently
\nlax, with people entering the building freely without undergoing
\nany identification checks.<\/p>\n
The KPU and the National Police had signed a Memorandum of
\nUnderstanding (MOU) in April that obliged the latter to guard the
\nKPU building and its members.<\/p>\n
Menteng Police chief Comr. Sahardiantono said more police
\nofficers would be deployed to secure the KPU building, following
\nthe anonymous threat. At present, only four officers are posted
\nat KPU building.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, KPU secretary-general Safder Yusacc said the
\nCommission would intensify the security on its premises.<\/p>\n
\"The written threat and the bullets is absolutely not the
\nright way to criticize the KPU ... We will certainly increase the
\nsecurity in the building,\" he said, after a 10-minute meeting
\nwith KPU chairman Nazaruddin discussing the apparent death
\nthreat.<\/p>\n
Another KPU member, Hamid Awaluddin, echoed the sentiment.<\/p>\n
\"If the person who wrote this letter alleges that KPU is
\nunfair in conducting a tender, he or she can complain in a fair
\nmanner -- not by sending us an anonymous threat,\" he said.<\/p>\n
National Police deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis said
\npolice would investigate the incident to uncover the sender, as
\nwell the motive, behind the threat.<\/p>\n
\"This cannot be categorized as terrorism, because it does not
\ncause fear among the public. It is, simply, a threat,\" said
\nZainuri.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the MOU between KPU and the police, Zainuri said
\nthat the agreement would be applied as a general policy to
\nsafeguard persons, activities and ballot boxes. The police
\noperation is to be called Mantab Brata 2004.<\/p>\n
\"But, of course, we (police) cannot guarantee the safety of
\nevery person in the KPU, as well as the building. No one and
\nnothing is immune to a possible attack. We will deploy police
\npersonnel, but still we cannot guarantee absolute safety,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The KPU is organizing the legislative election, which is
\nscheduled for April 5, 2004, and the presidential election in two
\nrounds, on July 5 and Sept. 20.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/general-elections-commission-receives-death-threat-1447893297",
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