KPU allots extra seats in 37 electoral districts<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has allocated more than 12
\nseats in provincial and regency\/municipality legislative councils
\nin 37 electoral districts, which is in breach of the law.<\/p>\n
"The KPU has no choice but to violate the law," its deputy
\nchairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Law No. 12\/2003 on elections stipulates that one electoral
\ndistrict is allocated between three and 12 seats.<\/p>\n
"Under the state administrative law, the KPU has discretionary
\npowers to take special measures in circumstances that were not
\ntaken into account by lawmakers during the drafting of the law.
\nBesides, the KPU will also seek a legal opinion from the Supreme
\nCourt regarding this decision," he argued.<\/p>\n
Among the electoral districts allocated more seats than their
\nfair share are Tangerang regency with 27 seats, Serang regency
\n(15), both in Banten; South Jakarta (16), East Jakarta (21), and
\nWest Jakarta (18); Sleman regency (16), Bantul regency (14), both
\nin Yogyakarta; Palembang municipality (13) in South Sumatra;
\nBatam (21) in Riau; Deli Serdang regency (15) and Medan
\nmunicipality (14) in North Sumatra; Rejang Lebong regency (13) in
\nBengkulu; Gorontalo regency (16) in Gorontalo; East Lombok
\nregency (14) in West Nusa Tenggara; and Central Maluku (19) in
\nMaluku.<\/p>\n
The KPU could have split a regency\/municipality and
\nsubdistrict into several electoral districts, but this would also
\nviolate the Election Law, he said.<\/p>\n
This is not the first time the KPU has deviated from the law.
\nEarlier, it decided to merge Tebing Tinggi municipality (1 seat)
\nwith Deli Serdang regency (15 seats) into one electoral district
\nwith 16 seats and integrated Bau Bau city with Buton regency into
\none electoral district with 13 seats.<\/p>\n
According to the law, one electoral district consists of a
\nregency or a combination of regencies\/municipalities.<\/p>\n
The KPU's decision to allot seats of between six and 12 seats
\nto one electoral district is aimed at allowing new political
\nparties equal opportunity to compete with the existing parties,
\nalbeit with several exceptions.<\/p>\n
One of the exceptions is to categorize a regency\/municipality
\nor subdistrict with more than 12 seats as one electoral district,
\nwhich is in line with the proportional electoral system.<\/p>\n
Another exception is to classify a regency\/municipality or
\nsubdistrict with three to five seats as one electoral district
\ndue to transportation problems. This is applied for remote areas
\nthat make access difficult.<\/p>\n
Also on Friday, the KPU distributed the electoral district map
\nfor provincial and regencies\/municipalities legislative councils
\namong the Regional General Elections Commissions (KPUDs).<\/p>\n
The map provides a comprehensive picture of the number of
\nelectoral districts, their locations and seat allocations.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, for example, is divided into five electoral districts
\nto be allocated with 75 seats in the Jakarta Provincial
\nLegislative Council.<\/p>\n
Electoral district one is Central Jakarta with eight seats,
\nelectoral district two is East Jakarta (21), electoral district
\nthree is South Jakarta (16), electoral district four is West
\nJakarta (18) and electoral district five is North Jakarta and
\nSeribu Islands, with a total of 12 seats.<\/p>\n
Bali is split into seven electoral districts to be allotted 55
\nseats in its Provincial Legislative Council.<\/p>\n
Electoral district one is Denpasar with eight seats, electoral
\ndistrict two is Badung (7), electoral district three consists of
\nTabanan and Jembrana with 11 seats, electoral district four is
\nBuleleng (10), electoral district five consists of Bangli and
\nKlungkung with a total of six seats, electoral district six is
\nKarangasem (6) and electoral district seven is Gianyar (7).<\/p>\n
There are a total of 69 electoral districts for seats in the
\nHouse of Representatives, 200 electoral districts for seats in
\nprovincial legislative councils, and 1,565 electoral districts
\nfor the seats in regencies\/municipalities legislative councils.<\/p>",
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