Local direct elections may be delayed: Minister<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The central government has agreed to delay the first direct
\nelections of regional administration chiefs as some remote areas
\nmay need more time to prepare election materials.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf said on Friday that
\nregional elections may be held in July instead of June.<\/p>\n
Some regions may also need more time to consult with local
\nlawmakers to adjust their administration budget to help finance
\nelections, he added.<\/p>\n
\"Preparing materials will take some time because we must
\nadhere to the law, which demands each region to hold an open
\nbidding to procure materials. Plus more time will be needed to
\ndistribute materials to remote regions,\" Ma'ruf said after
\nmeeting regional administration leaders to discuss preparations
\nfor the upcoming elections.<\/p>\n
Some regions previously demanded that the government delay
\nregional elections due to the central government's tardiness in
\nfinalizing the election regulation. The ruling was issued last
\nweek, leaving little time for some regions to make the necessary
\npreparations.<\/p>\n
A plan to immediately set up provincial and regental offices
\nof the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) was also
\ndiscussed at Friday's meeting. Ma'ruf also said it was decided
\nthat voter registration would close on Feb. 28.<\/p>\n
Various regions in the country will hold elections to select
\nregional administration leaders, including governors, regents and
\nmayors to replace the 226 whose terms end soon.<\/p>\n
The direct election system is new to the country and is aimed
\nat promoting democracy.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, some regions have expressed concern over the
\nlimited budget provided by the central government to fund the
\nelections, saying that under such conditions they would be forced
\nto review their 2005 administration budgets and allocate extra
\nfunds for the elections.<\/p>\n
\"We have decided to allocate Rp 1.25 trillion (US$135.87
\nmillion) from the state budget for regions nationwide, but we
\nhave yet to calculate how much will be disbursed to each as we
\nmust consult lawmakers about it,\" Ma'ruf said, adding that his
\nministry was slated to hold a consultative meeting with the House
\nof Representatives next week.<\/p>\n
The government is also waiting for a decision by the
\nConstitutional Court, which is reviewing several contentious
\narticles of Law No. 32\/2004 on regional governments. The law
\ncontains articles on how regional elections should be conducted.<\/p>\n
The review request was filed by a number of non-governmental
\norganizations and Provincial General Elections Commission (KPUD)
\noffices after realizing the law failed \"to ensure principles of
\nfairness and impartiality during and after the elections\".<\/p>\n
Ma'ruf, however, said the government would continue with its
\nplan to hold direct regional elections unless the court decided
\nthat the law should be revised.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/local-direct-elections-may-be-delayed-minister-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}