KPU worries about late party screening<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Less than half of 32 provincial elections commission (KPUDs) have
\nsubmitted the results of their field verification on 40 political
\nparties, raising fears the slow progress would severely affect
\npreparations for next year's elections.<\/p>\n
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said over the weekend that
\nonly 14 provincial KPUDs had submitted their reports by Saturday,
\ntwo days after the deadline lapsed last Thursday.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said other KPUDs were expected to hand in their factual
\nverification results in the next few days with Papua being the
\nlatest on Dec. 6.<\/p>\n
All 32 provincial KPUDs were supposed to submit their reports
\non Nov. 27, but only four -- Bali, Lampung, South Sulawesi, and
\nEast Kalimantan -- made the deadline.<\/p>\n
Central Java, Jambi and North Sulawesi KPUDs submitted their
\nreports on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said that KPU would announce in stages political
\nparties eligible for next year's elections. The commission had
\nplanned to announce the names of political parties endorsed by
\nthe KPU to join next year's elections on Dec. 2, 2003.<\/p>\n
Ramlan had said earlier that transportation difficulties,
\nespecially during the Idul Fitri celebrations when millions of
\npeople across the country travel to their hometowns, was one of
\nthe causes of the delay.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the announcement of the numerical order of the
\nparties on Dec. 8 would be affected by the slow process of
\nfactual verification, Ramlan said he did not think so.<\/p>\n
Should the announcement be delayed because of the slow process
\nof factual screening, the nomination period for legislator
\nhopefuls would be shortened, he said. He did not go into details.<\/p>\n
According to the KPU schedule, political parties will start
\ntaking forms for legislative aspirants from KPU and forms for
\nprovincial and regental\/municipal hopefuls from KPUDs from Dec. 9
\nthrough Dec. 19.<\/p>\n
The parties must return the forms between Dec. 22 and Dec. 29,
\nwith verification by KPU scheduled from Dec. 23 through Jan. 5.<\/p>\n
The screening results will be announced from Dec. 27 through
\nJan. 12, 2004, with the chance given for political parties to
\nimprove the requirements submitted for legislative aspirants from
\nDec. 29 through Jan 19.<\/p>\n
KPU will decide the final list of legislative aspirants on
\nJan. 27, and announce it between Jan. 28 and Jan. 29.<\/p>\n
Some non-governmental organizations and scholars have
\ncriticized KPU for not meeting its schedule for the 2004 election
\npreparations.<\/p>\n
Earlier, KPU failed to complete on time the national
\npopulation and voter census, party administrative screening and
\nelectoral district mapping.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will hold its legislative election on April 5 and
\ntwo-stage direct presidential elections on July 5 and Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
Ramlan also said that KPU was planning to hold a plenary
\nsession on Monday to make a decision on the factual screening of
\nseveral parties, endorse its electoral district mapping
\ninstructions, and instructions on the procedure for the
\nnomination of legislators.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, some parties, such as the Bhinneka Indonesia Party
\n(PBI), the Gotong Royong Party and the Indonesian Democratic
\nCatholic Party (PKDI) have filed objections with KPU over press
\nreports that they were among the list of 13 parties that might
\nnot qualify for next year's election.<\/p>\n
PKDI had asked KPU to review the outcome of factual
\nverification in Bali as the party was disqualified by the Bali
\nKPUD due to one membership card problem, Ramlan said.<\/p>\n
\"KPUDs will respond any objections from political parties that
\nthink they should have passed the factual screening,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpu-worries-about-late-party-screening-1447893297",
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