KPU postpones ballot count<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Only seven of the 27 provincial elections
\ncommittees completed their official ballot count by Monday's
\ndeadline, leading the National Elections Committee to delay the
\nnational vote count.<\/p>\n
Political party leaders who had gathered to hear the results
\nof the national vote count expressed disappointment when they
\nwere told the General Elections Commission (KPU) had delayed the
\ntallying.<\/p>\n
Commission chairman Rudini said the KPU would hold a plenary
\nmeeting on Tuesday to decide on a new date for the start of the
\nnational ballot counting.<\/p>\n
Committee deputy Hasbalah M. Saad said on Saturday that the
\nofficial schedule for the vote count would likely not be met
\nbecause of slow counting at the provincial and regional levels.
\nEven in the capital, the ballot recount has not been completed.<\/p>\n
The provinces which completed their vote counts by Monday were
\nLampung, Bali, Yogyakarta, East Timor, Jambi, West Java and Irian
\nJaya.<\/p>\n
\"The ballot counting at the national level was postponed
\nbecause we are still hearing reports of electoral law violations
\nin several provinces. These reports need to be settled first,\"
\nKPU chairman Rudini said, quoting article 62 of the 1999 law on
\nelections.<\/p>\n
He denied June 21 was the official deadline for the
\nannouncement of final elections results and said Monday was only
\nsupposed to be the first day of the national vote count.<\/p>\n
Present on Monday to hear the national elections results were
\nGolkar chairman Akbar Tandjung, Indonesian National Party led by
\nSupeni (PNI-Supeni) chairwoman Supeni, Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) deputy chairman Dimyati
\nHartono and the secretary-general of the Justice and Unity Party
\n(PKP), Hayono Isman.<\/p>\n
Under the vote counting system, results from the polling
\nstations are first tabulated and validated at the subdistrict
\nlevel, then at the regency and provincial levels before they are
\nrecounted and verified at the national level.<\/p>\n
However, several provincial elections committees have called
\nfor new polls or a recount of the ballots amid reports of alleged
\nerrors and fraud.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung left the auditorium of the KPU
\nsecretariat when he learned of the delay. He expressed regret at
\nthe slow vote count, particularly because Golkar's internal
\ncounting had tallied some 90 percent of the ballots.<\/p>\n
KIPP<\/p>\n
A former minister and the secretary-general of the Justice and
\nUnity Party (PKP), Hayono Isman, said that while the delay was
\nnot extraordinary, there was a matter of ethics because respected
\nguests had been invited to the start of the national tally.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the official Elections Supervisory Committee
\nSoedarko said he would respect whatever decision was made by the
\nGeneral Elections Commission and the National Elections
\nCommittee, including delaying the start of the national vote
\ncount.<\/p>\n
\"We've been invited... but we have to respect the fact that
\nKPU has problems starting the ballot counting on schedule,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The Independent Elections Monitoring Committee (KIPP) issued a
\nstatement on Monday criticizing the delay.<\/p>\n
\"Article 62 of the 1999 law on elections does not specifically
\nstipulate that national ballot counting must be done in a one-day
\nperiod. Therefore, it can be held gradually without waiting for
\ncomplete official reports from the 27 provinces,\" the statement,
\nsigned by KIPP secretary-general Mulyana W. Kusumah, said.<\/p>\n
\"The delay will only add new problems to the ballot counting
\nprocess,\" Mulyana said.<\/p>\n
He said the KPU and the National Elections Committee should
\nonly respond to complaints filed within a two-week period after
\nthe June 7 general election.<\/p>\n
\"We call on all interested parties to make immediate, honest
\nand objective decisions about the poll results and to prevent any
\npossible fraud in the extension of the tallying period,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the official Elections
\nSupervisory Committee, Todung Mulya Lubis, said he was sure the
\nJuly 8 deadline for completing the final tallies for the House of
\nRepresentatives and lower legislative bodies could be met.<\/p>\n
The supervisory committee is still checking into reports of
\nelections violations. It has been criticized for being slow in
\ninvestigating reports of violations, but a committee member
\nattributed its perceived lack of speed to the fact that the
\ncommittee was only established in March.<\/p>\n
As of 10:30 p.m. official results from the General Elections
\nCommission showed that for the House of Representatives, the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) was
\nleading with 21.4 million votes, followed by the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB) with 10.68 million votes. Edging close in
\nthird place was Golkar with 10.66 million votes.(imn\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpu-postpones-ballot-count-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}