KPU forms team to end row over seats allocation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) formed a
\nteam on Monday to formulate a decree on allocation of 120
\nremaining House of Representatives seats in a last ditch effort
\nto settle months of fighting over vote-sharing agreements between
\neight Muslim-based parties.<\/p>\n
KPU chairman Rudini said the eight member team would confirm
\nan earlier stipulation on the method employed by the National
\nElections Committee (PPI) in calculating the seat allocation for
\nthe eight parties which have struck a vote-sharing deal, widely
\nknown as stembus akkord, before the June 7 elections.<\/p>\n
The team will have only 24 hours to finish its job and is
\nexpected to present its draft before a plenary KPU meeting on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
The vote-sharing agreement was signed by United Development
\nParty (PPP), Crescent Star Party (PBB), Nahdlatul Ummat Party
\n(PNU), Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU), Indonesian United
\nIslam Party 1905 (PSII-1905), Islamic Community Party (PUI) and
\nIndonesian Masyumi Political Party (PPIM).<\/p>\n
Rudini said the PPI was expected to start calculating the
\nallocation of the remaining seats on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The team is made up of Mustafa Kamal of Justice Party (PK),
\nMidian Sirait of Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), both
\nrepresenting parties which signed vote sharing agreements,
\nHasballah M. Saad of National Mandate Party (PAN), Sri Bintang
\nPamungkas of Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI), and Bennie
\nAkbar Fatah of National Labor Party (PBN).<\/p>\n
The government is represented by Oka Mahendra, while Djuhad
\nMahja of United Development Party (PPP) and Bambang Mintoko of
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) represented parties which were
\ninvolved in the deliberation of the 1999 General Election Law.<\/p>\n
According to KPU's stipulation, the eight Muslim-based parties
\nwill earn 39 seats. But the parties challenged the stipulation,
\nclaiming they should have gained 19 seats more according to their
\nown calculation.<\/p>\n
When PPI finishes the seat allocation, the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle is expected to top the tally with
\n154 seats, followed by Golkar Party with 120, PPP 59, National
\nAwakening Party (PKB) 51, National Mandate Party (PAN) 35 and PBB
\n13.<\/p>\n
Error-ridden<\/p>\n
Bintang, one of KPU members who opposes the method to allocate
\nthe left-over seats, suggested that the commission refer to the
\nArticle 69 of the 1999 Elections Law, which stipulates that all
\nvotes must be divided entirely into seats.<\/p>\n
\"It's better to distribute those remaining seats among parties
\ncontesting the elections, or leave the seats vacant instead,\"
\nBintang said.<\/p>\n
He renewed his criticism against a KPU rigid decree which
\nrejects any vote-sharing agreement made after the polls. \"Even
\nthe 1955 general elections allowed the agreement to be made after
\nthe polls,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bintang said the present row had added insult to injury to the
\nerror-ridden KPU and PPI. He labeled the June 7 polls as \"grand
\npolitical laboratories where political experiments took place.\"<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, not all experiments were successful and prone
\nto deadlocks,\" Bintang said.<\/p>\n
Hasballah concurred and nominated Bintang as chairman of a
\ncommittee which seeks to review all election regulations. The
\nreview will be submitted to the next House, Hasballah said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) objected
\nKPU's decision to allocate 15 People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR) seats to Muslim groups because it was made without
\nconsulting the council.<\/p>\n
\"KPU acted unfairly and took the decision beyond its right,\"
\nsaid MUI secretary, Nazir Adlani. He said the council had not yet
\nreceived the copy of KPU decision.<\/p>\n
KPU has allocated 20 seats for religious communities, 15 of
\nwhich go to Islamic organizations, two to Protestant
\norganizations, and one seat each to Catholic, Buddhist and Hindu
\ncommunities. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpu-forms-team-to-end-row-over-seats-allocation-1447893297",
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