Mega asserts elections to take place on time<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N. and Moch. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post,
\nBandar Lampung\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Brushing aside technical and logistical problems the General
\nElections Commission (KPU) is facing, President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri asserted on Monday that the elections would proceed
\nas scheduled.<\/p>\n
"The elections are held once every five years and have been on
\nthe agenda. Therefore, they must take place on time and in an
\norderly manner," Megawati said while inaugurating Batutegi dam in
\nTanggamus, Lampung.<\/p>\n
Megawati was responding to growing fears that the legislative
\nelection would be delayed due to unresolved problems in the
\nprocurement and delivery of election materials with only four
\nweeks left.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will hold the election of House of Representatives,
\nRegional Representatives Council and provincial and
\nregental\/municipal legislature members on April 5. The landmark
\ndirect presidential election will follow on July 5.<\/p>\n
"I disagree with people who say that the election dates are
\ntoo close to one another. They are just right," Megawati said,
\nciting the success of the 1999 general election, coming only two
\nyears after the 1997 election.<\/p>\n
Separately, KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said the
\ncommission had registered 147,867,525 eligible voters, both
\ndomestic and overseas. New voters between 17 to 21 years of age
\naccount for 22.1 million of eligible voters.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said 247,295 voters in Malaysia and Singapore would
\nvote for House and the Regional Representatives Council members
\nin Jakarta electoral district I, and 157,159 voters outside the
\ntwo countries will vote in Jakarta electoral district II.<\/p>\n
"We apologize to those people who have not been registered,
\nfor not being able to exercise their right to vote. We have a
\nvery limited time until the elections," he said.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said the KPU would hold a technical meeting in mid-
\nMarch with regional KPU offices over unresolved problems
\nregarding polling stations, ballot counting, seat allocation and
\nelection material distribution.<\/p>\n
He played down flaws in electoral preparations over the
\nweekend and asked the public not to take issue with it.<\/p>\n
Ballot paper printing has sparked anxiety after the KPU thrice
\nrevised the printing deadline.<\/p>\n
As of Monday, the 17 winning companies of the printing tender
\nhad completed 160 million of 660 million ballot papers and
\nstarted delivering the materials.<\/p>\n
Mufti Mubarok, spokesman for Temprina Medi Grafika, which won
\na contract to print 54 million papers, said it could finish by
\nWednesday only ballot papers for the House election, while
\ndelivery would begin from the most remote province of Papua.<\/p>\n
Another major printer, the State Printing Company, said it
\nwould complete all printing by March 20.<\/p>\n
Minor printer Aneka Ilmu has completed 85 percent of a 22-
\nmillion print run. Spokesman Suwanto estimated the next print run
\nfor the provincial legislative election to finish by March 17.<\/p>\n
The KPU expects all election materials to reach nationwide
\npolling stations five days before the general election.<\/p>",
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