Over 570 struggle for four seats in DPD<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Over 570 Jakartans are to compete for four vacant seats to
\nrepresent the city's 8.6 million residents at the planned 120-
\nmember Regional Representatives Council (DPD) in a legislative
\nelection scheduled for April 3 next year.<\/p>\n
Monday was the last day for potential candidates to pick up
\nregistration forms for DPD membership, after the time frame was
\nextended for a week from the original deadline of July 8 to July
\n14.<\/p>\n
The council's members will represent the country's 30
\nprovinces, each of which will send four representatives.<\/p>\n
\"So far, there have been about 570 people who have picked up
\nregistration forms. We are still waiting for others until
\nmidnight,\" chairman of the Jakarta General Elections Commission
\n(KPUD) M. Taufik told The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Noted figures who have taken registration forms included
\nformer environment minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja,
\nenvironmentalist Emmy Hafild, former student activist Hariman
\nSiregar, chairman of the Government Watch (Gowa) Farid Faqih,
\nautomotive racer Helmy Sungkar and several businesspeople such as
\nMooryati Soedibyo, Pontjo Sutowo, Kemala Motik and Abdullah Rusli
\nBiki.<\/p>\n
Several Betawi (native Jakartans) figures, such as chairman of
\nthe Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) Fadloli El Muhir, Muslim
\nfemale preacher Soerjani Tohir, late actor Benyamin Sueb's son,
\nBeni Benyamin, and an executive of the Betawi Assembly (Bamus
\nBetawi) Rusdi Saleh, have also joined the race.<\/p>\n
Taufik estimated that only around 70 of those who had picked
\nup the forms would pass the verification test and be eligible for
\nthe election. Each candidate must have at least 3,000 copies of
\nthe identity cards of their supporters.<\/p>\n
\"It is not easy to gather 3,000 supporters,\" Taufik said,
\nadding that the KPUD would confirm each supporter directly.<\/p>\n
The forms and 3,000 ID copies should be submitted to the KPUD
\noffice on Sept. 8 at the latest, and the verification of the
\ncontestants, who must be individuals -- not representing
\npolitical parties -- is expected to be completed in late
\nDecember.<\/p>\n
The planned DPD will be the first Regional Representatives
\nCouncil to be elected directly by the people. Members of the
\nincumbent Regional Representatives Faction at the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR), the highest legislative body, were
\nappointed by the Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD I).<\/p>\n
The responsibilities of the new DPD will include formulating
\nbills related to regional autonomy, management of natural
\nresources and liaising between local administrations and the
\ncentral government.<\/p>",
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