KPU faces tight schedule for delaying election<\/p>\n
Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia may have only one-and-a-half months to hold a general
\nelection to ensure that there is a new government by October
\n2004, with March 2004 being targeted as the earliest possible
\nmonth and mid-April as the latest, General Elections Commission
\n(KPU) deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a seminar on the newly enacted Elections Law,
\nRamlan presented the tight schedule to allow enough time to
\nadequately prepare the elections and still meet the October
\ndeadline.<\/p>\n
KPU is in charge of organizing both the legislative and
\npresidential elections, and decides when they should be held.<\/p>\n
The possible gap of just one-and-a-half months signals the
\nminimum delay the KPU can afford in preparing the elections.<\/p>\n
\"The president and the vice president have to be inaugurated
\nby the MPR (People's Consultative Assembly) by October 20, 2004,\"
\nRamlan said.<\/p>\n
October 2004 marks the end of a five-year MPR mandate of the
\npresent government led by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
A late election would extend Megawati's presidency beyond her
\nmandate, rendering the government unconstitutional.<\/p>\n
\"From that (date in October) we can calculate backwards to get
\nthe timing right for the general election,\" said Ramlan.<\/p>\n
He said a new MPR had to be established in the second week of
\nOctober, meaning that during the week before, members of the
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives
\n(DPD) would have to be already installed. The new MPR will
\nconsist of the DPR and the DPD.<\/p>\n
The outcome of the direct presidential election should be
\nknown by September, Ramlan said.<\/p>\n
The KPU has to allot enough time for two rounds of the
\npresidential election, as required by the Constitution. A second
\nround becomes necessary if the first one fails to produce a
\npresident with a win of at least 51 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said that within two months after the first round of
\nelections, it would be known whether a second round was needed .<\/p>\n
\"That is, providing that no one challenges the election
\nresults,\" he said, explaining that a judicial review of the
\nelection could delay the process by another month.<\/p>\n
Through the soon-to-be established constitutional court,
\npresidential candidates may challenge the election results.<\/p>\n
But it is the upcoming House debate on the presidential bill
\nthat will determine whether the KPU will have just one-and-a-half
\nmonths for the election or maybe more.<\/p>\n
If legislators decide to separate the presidential election
\nfrom the legislative one, the window of opportunity could narrow
\nto one-and-a-half months. A combined election would widen that
\nwindow by two months.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said that a combined election would push back the
\ndeadline from mid-April to early June, allowing the KPU more time
\nto prepare the elections.<\/p>\n
So far the House's largest faction, the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), has expressed only support
\nfor a separate election.<\/p>\n
On the preparation side, deputy chairman Ramlan cited three
\ntasks for determining the election schedule.<\/p>\n
First, the registration of election hopefuls, consisting of
\npolitical parties and DPR and DPD candidates. This may take about
\nseven-and-a-half months, he said.<\/p>\n
More than 200 parties have registered themselves at the
\nMinistry of Justice and Human Rights. Following the enactment of
\nthe Political Party Law, all parties have to reapply under the
\nrevised and tougher terms to qualify as a political party.<\/p>\n
The KPU cannot start registering election candidates until the
\nMinistry of Justice and Human Rights verifies them as political
\nparties.<\/p>\n
The deadline for party registration falls in September of this
\nyear, but Ramlan said it was not clear whether that would include
\nverification as well.<\/p>\n
The second task is the time it will take to register eligible
\nvoters from among the more than 210 million Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Ramlan predicted 11 months would be needed to complete this
\njob.<\/p>\n
The third task is the supply and distribution of logistics,
\nsuch as ballot boxes and documentation for polling stations
\nthroughout the country, which may take 124 days, he said.<\/p>\n
If everything goes as planned, he said, all three tasks could
\nbe completed before March 2004.<\/p>",
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