19 DPD candidates disqualified

As many as 19 of 104 hopefuls, who have submitted registration forms to the City General Election Commission (KPUD) to become members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), have been disqualified for not fulfilling the minimum requirements.

KPUD chairman M. Taufik said on Wednesday that 16 candidates had been disqualified for not enclosing the minimum 3,000 photocopies of their supporters's identity cards (IDs) when they submitted registration forms.

While three others were dropped for various reasons, including using fake and expired IDs, as well as photocopying one ID several times in order to meet the required number.

For example, he said that a candidate, named Abdussalam, had enclosed 3,003 photocopied IDs, but 554 of them were doubles, 890 fake and 89 expired.

Furthermore, Taufik said that the KPUD would verify within a week whether or not the holders of the IDs submitted by candidates were really their supporters.

"We will do this randomly. We will question a number of people whose IDs were submitted," he said.

From the 575 people who picked up registration forms to become DPD members, only 104 submitted them.

The DPD members will represent the country's 30 provinces, with four representatives for each province.

The planned DPD will be the first Regional Representatives Council to be elected directly by the people.

Members of the incumbent Regional Representatives Faction at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the highest legislative body, were appointed by the Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD I).

The duties of the DPD will include formulating bills related to regional autonomy, management of natural resources and liaising between local administrations and the central government. -- JP