KPU to probe irregularities in voter registration<\/p>\n
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) is planning to send teams
\nout to select regions to investigate reports of irregularities in
\nthe voter registration process.<\/p>\n
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said on Wednesday that several
\nmembers of the commission would visit next week several regions,
\nsuch as East Java and Sumatra, to monitor voter registration.<\/p>\n
"We will monitor several areas that have complained of a
\nshortage of forms and several other irregularities hampering
\nvoter registration," he said.<\/p>\n
Voter registration, which is costing KPU about Rp 417 billion
\n(US$46.8 million), is facing criticism over its poor publicizing
\nof the election. Members of the public have also complained about
\nthe field officers' lack of professionalism in carrying out their
\nduties. The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), which was asked
\nby KPU to carry out the registration, has been dropping hints
\nthat it may not make the April 30 deadline.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said BPS often complained about a shortage of
\nregistration forms, duplicate entries made by untrained officers,
\nnumerous errors, incomplete forms and a lack of field officers.<\/p>\n
"In some areas in West Jakarta, for example, there are not
\nenough field officers, while several trained officers have failed
\nto correctly fill out or even complete the registration forms."<\/p>\n
There have also been some reports of field officers asking
\neligible voters to give them copies of their personal
\nidentification and family cards, even though this is not a
\nrequirement.<\/p>\n
This has raised fears that some registration officials are
\nbeing used by political parties to collect copies of
\nidentification and family cards to allow the party to run in the
\n2004 election.<\/p>\n
Under the current political party law, parties need to have
\nbranches in at least half of the country's provinces, and offices
\nin at least two-thirds of the regencies and districts of those
\nprovinces. In addition, at least 1,000 signatures of their local
\nmembers along with the copies of their identification cards have
\nto be collected to have those local branches recognized.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said KPU would impose certain sanctions on field
\nofficers committing these practices. He did not elaborate on the
\npenalties.<\/p>\n
He said that these irregularities may cause delays in several
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
KPU had previously announced that 22 areas were experiencing a
\nshortage of 1.2 million voter registration forms. It said that
\nBPS had miscalculated the projected number of eligible voters.
\nThe miscalculation has prompted KPU to increase its voter
\nregistration budget by about Rp 950 million (US$106,000).<\/p>\n
Some 130 million eligible voters are expected to register for
\nthe 2004 election.<\/p>\n
BPS had earlier complained about the poor publicizing of the
\ngeneral election, in which the public was often unaware of the
\ntime when a field officer would visit a household to conduct the
\nvoter registration.<\/p>\n
KPU commissioned BPS to conduct a nationwide census and voter
\nregistration starting earlier this month. The deadline is April
\n30.<\/p>\n
BPS has deployed about 230,000 officers to conduct the voter
\nregistration with the results to be announced in December of this
\nyear. The results will be used as an integrated single database
\nfor future elections.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's first direct elections will begin nationwide on
\nApril 5, 2004, with the legislative election and it will be
\nfollowed by a two-phased presidential election between June and
\nAugust 2004.<\/p>",
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