KPU assures no delay in general election<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) will be able to hold the
\nnext general election on schedule after securing the government's
\ncommitment to meeting the Rp 3.02 trillion budget requested by
\nthe body, officials say.<\/p>\n
KPU member Chusnul Mar'iyah said on Tuesday the government had
\nproposed Rp 2 trillion (US222 million) in the draft 2003 state
\nbudget for the general election and would provide the remaining
\nfunds in the following fiscal year.<\/p>\n
\"Our problem has been about funds, but now that the government
\nhas agreed with our proposed budget we are certain that we can
\nhold the election on schedule,\" said Chusnul, a political analyst
\nfrom the Jakarta-based University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The proposed budget for the 2004 election is double that for
\nthe 1999 polls, which cost the country Rp 1.5 trillion.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri proposed the first
\ndisbursement of election funds in her speech before the House of
\nRepresentatives on Friday.<\/p>\n
In the meantime the bills on political parties and general
\nelections, which will give KPU the authority to organize the
\nelections, are expected to be passed by the House in November.<\/p>\n
As soon as the new fiscal year started, Chusnul said, the
\ncommission could start setting up at least 443 general election
\ncommissions in provinces and cities\/regencies across the country
\nin November.<\/p>\n
\"We can also open bids for companies that wish to print voter
\nforms. Companies can submit their tenders,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, another KPU member, Ramlan Surbakti, said the
\ncommission would start registering eligible voters in January
\nnext year and complete its verification in June.<\/p>\n
\"It's like a census. The data could be used for the next
\nelections,\" Ramlan, a professor in politics at the Surabaya-based
\nAirlangga University, said.<\/p>\n
He said the commission would start to open registration for
\npolitical parties in June next year and it would need KPU five
\nmonths to verify and decide the parties that qualified for the
\nelection.<\/p>\n
After all the ballots were ready and election commission
\nofficers trained, Ramlan said, the general election could start
\nin June 2004.<\/p>\n
Ramlan revealed three scenarios for the election, including
\none that groups the election of members of the House, Regional
\nRepresentatives Council (DPD), local legislative bodies (DPRD) on
\nthe one hand and the presidential and vice presidential election
\non the other.<\/p>\n
Under that proposal, the election of the DPR, DPD and DPRD
\nwould be held in June 2004, with the results announced two months
\nlater.<\/p>\n
The presidential and vice presidential election would take
\nplace in September, with the much-anticipated run-off slated for
\nNovember.<\/p>\n
\"This would need a consensus to extend the tenure of the
\ncurrent president by about two and half months as the elected
\npresident would only be announced at the end of 2004,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Megawati's term of office is scheduled to end in October 2004.<\/p>\n
KPU also proposed another alternative, in which the elections
\nwere held simultaneously.<\/p>\n
\"But it would be difficult to implement as this scheme would
\nrequire officials to be on duty for a 22-hour stretch,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The third scenario suggests that the national election of the
\npresident and DPR and DPD members be held simultaneously in 2004,
\nand moves back the election of DPRD members to the following
\nyear.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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