KPU must be independent, professional: Candidates<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The integrity of the 2004 general election will
\ndepend much on the Indonesian Election Commission (KPU)'s
\nindependence and its members' professionalism, KPU candidates
\nsaid on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Chusnul Mar'iyah, a candidate from the University of
\nIndonesia's (UI) School of Social and Political Science, said
\nmembers of the election commission must be able to professionally
\norganize the next elections and be immune to pressure from
\npolitical parties.<\/p>\n
\"The election commission must be able to work independently
\nand professionally to help make the next general election free
\nand fair,\" she said before the House of Representatives'
\nCommission II for home and legal affairs during a fit-and-proper
\ntest session.<\/p>\n
She said KPU's independence could be assessed by its election
\nregulations and how it dealt with political parties that violated
\nelection laws and codes of conduct.<\/p>\n
\"KPU must have the courage to take stern action against
\nparties that violate the election rules during the campaign
\nperiod or on the election day,\" she said, adding that the House,
\nwhich was currently reviewing laws on elections and political
\nparties, should impose stern penalties on parties involved in
\nmoney politics.<\/p>\n
Ari Pradanawati, a KPU candidate from the Semarang-based
\nDiponegoro University in Central Java, said the next general
\nelection must be well-organized as it would determine the quality
\nof the future legislative body and government.<\/p>\n
\"Besides KPU's independence and professionalism, the next
\nelections should use the district system in selecting suitable
\ncandidates to sit in the House of Representatives and evaluating
\nthe present government's performance,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Ari, who is also a former member of the disbanded Central Java
\nprovincial election committee (PPD), said the proportional system
\ncurrently used in elections could be easily manipulated by
\npolitical parties.<\/p>\n
\"That's why many have questioned whether the present
\nlegislators really represent the people as the House has paid
\nless attention to the problems being faced by the people,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She said the next elections would be an opportunity for the
\npeople to evaluate the performance of the current government and
\nlegislative body.<\/p>\n
She said the people should not vote for parties whose
\nlegislators had performed poorly in the House.<\/p>\n
Adhyaksa Dault, a KPU candidate nominated by the Indonesian
\nNational Youth Committee (KNPI), concurred, saying independent
\nelection commission members were needed because the commission
\nwould play a critical role in determining the future of democracy
\nin the country.<\/p>\n
He proposed the establishment of a supervisory committee to
\noversee election candidates.<\/p>\n
\"The supervisory committee can advice KPU on parties which
\nhave violated the election laws and codes of conduct,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The House Commission II will select 11 of 21 candidates
\nproposed by the government.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the coalition of non-governmental organizations
\n(NGOs) criticized Commission II for its lack of transparency in
\nselecting KPU members.<\/p>\n
Hadar N. Gumay, coordinator of the NGO coalition, said the
\nHouse had never publicly disclosed the candidates for the public
\nto participate in the selection.<\/p>\n
\"The House has received about 100 letters from the public but
\nit has declined to divulge their contents. Besides, the public do
\nnot know the criteria used in the selection,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other candidates who will undergo the fit-and-proper test,
\nwhich will be completed by Friday, are former chairman of the
\nIndonesian Muslim Student Association (HMI) Anas Urbaningrum,
\nchairman of the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP)
\nMulyana W. Kusumah, UI's political lecturers Nazaruddin
\nSjamsuddin and Valina Singka, Surabaya-based Airlangga
\nUniversity's political lecturers Daniel Sparringa and Ramlan
\nSurbakti, UI's sociologist Imam B. Prasodjo, Muslim scholar
\nKomaruddin Hidayat and Catholic priest Mudji Sutrisno. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpu-must-be-independent-professional-candidates-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}