Delible ink used in presidential election

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Semarang/Yogyakarta

The use of delible ink marred the presidential election on Monday, with the General Elections Commission (KPU) vowing to demand an explanation from the four companies appointed to supply the poll material.

"The quality of the ink is very poor, it is easy to clean off," said Yuliastuti in Semarang, showing her left little finger that no longer had an ink stain.

Voters had their little fingers stained with ink after casting their vote in a bid to avoid multiple voting.

It took a least one month for the ink used in the April 5 legislative election to wear off.

KPU chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin said that after observing the low quality of the ink during his tour to Yogyakarta and Central Java that he would summon the management of PT Printcolor Indonesia, PT Asgarindo Utama, PT Cipta Tora Utama and PT Benda Utama, the companies that supplied the ink.

"We have received reports on the delible ink, and this indicates that the ink provided by the firms is not of good quality," he said.

Nazaruddin suspected that the ink was mixed with too much water.

Unlike the ink used in the legislative election, the ink for the presidential election was locally made.

"In the previous election we imported the ink from India. This time around we used locally made ink as we wanted to promote Indonesian products, aside from its lower price," said Nazaruddin.

One bottle of local ink costs Rp 19,750 (US$2.12), compared to imported ink costing between Rp 28,750 and Rp 30,275. KPU allocated Rp 200 billion for the procurement of ink.

Nazaruddin said the commission would impose penalties on the firms that procured the ink. "The deceitful company will for sure be blacklisted in the second round of the presidential election," he said.

In Jakarta, KPU member Valina Singka Subekti said that prior to distributing the ink, the commission had tested it in laboratories belonging to the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).