House factions question KPU's independence<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Deliberation of the much-awaited election bill got into full
\nswing on Monday, with some factions in the House of
\nRepresentatives questioning the independence of the General
\nElections Commission (KPU).<\/p>\n
Unlike the draft bill proposed by the government, the factions
\nsuggested the KPU Secretariat not be put under the control of the
\nhome ministry.<\/p>\n
\"If the KPU secretary-general is a civil servant, we certainly
\nwill not be able to say the commission is an independent body,\"
\nthe spokesman for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan) faction, Firman Jaya Daeli, said during a
\nhearing with Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on the rulings proposed by the government
\nthat would place the KPU under the control of the home ministry.<\/p>\n
Article 67, Paragraph 1, of the elections bill stipulates that
\nin its daily tasks, the KPU will be assisted by a secretariat
\nwhich is a government agency.<\/p>\n
Paragraph 5 says that the secretary-general of the KPU will be
\na civil servant.<\/p>\n
Fellow legislator Ali Masykur Musa of the National Awakening
\nParty (PKB) emphasized that the KPU must not be a government
\nagency, but a state institution.<\/p>\n
\"We want the secretariat to be a part of the KPU itself. The
\nKPU is not a government agency, but a state institution. We will
\ndiscuss this matter later,\" Ali said.<\/p>\n
The Coalition for Political Laws has repeatedly criticized the
\nrulings set out in the elections bill. The coalition suggested
\nthe KPU secretariat should not be a government agency, but an
\nindependent body.<\/p>\n
The stipulation that the KPU is a government agency
\ncontradicts Article 64 of the bill, which state that the KPU is
\nan independent body.<\/p>\n
The independence of the KPU is important because the
\ncommission will be responsible for organizing elections at all
\nlevels of administration, from urban areas to remote villages.<\/p>\n
The House is also deliberating the political party bill, which
\nalong with the elections bill has to be endorsed by the end of
\nthis year to ensure the 2004 general election takes place as
\nscheduled.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian chapter of the Berlin-based
\nTransparency International (TI-Indonesia) suggested the House
\nrevise both the election and political party bills, particularly
\nthe articles on political funds, to ensure a more credible
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
TI-Indonesia secretary-general Emmy Hafild said the bills
\nshould impose limits on which private companies and capital
\nowners can donate to political parties and campaigns.<\/p>\n
\"Private companies which organize public funds, such as banks,
\nand insurance companies, as well as state-owned enterprises and
\ncompanies whose businesses concern public needs, should be
\nexcluded because such companies are dependent on the
\ngovernment's policies and the legislature's legal products.\"<\/p>\n
Emmy said the list of excluded companies should include those
\ncompanies in the forestry, mining, oil and gas, and water supply
\nsectors, as well as companies in debt and companies whose debt is
\nbeing handled by the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency.<\/p>\n
The watchdog also called for a separation of political
\nparties' financial reports and their campaign funds, and for an
\nindependent audit of campaign funds in a bid to uphold
\ntransparency.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-factions-question-kpus-independence-1447893297",
"image": ""
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