19 DPD candidates disqualified

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