DPD selection kept under wraps: NGO

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Without any fanfare, the Jakarta Provincial General Elections Commission (KPUD Jakarta) has started to register candidates for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). They will take part in the legislative elections next April.

Prospective candidates will be able to pick up registration forms between July 8 and July 14.

Unfortunately, the selection process procedures -- including when and where the application forms can be picked up -- has never been advertised in the media, whether print or electronic.

However, the local elections' commission chairman, M. Taufik, claimed on Friday that he had announced the procedures to the press. He also said that the selection process was being advertised all over Jakarta on banners erected in the city's 44 districts.

"Although there has never been press advertisements, many people are still aware and want to take part in the selection process. We have erected many banners which can be easily seen," he said.

A total of 105 people had collected forms as of Friday afternoon. Among public figures taking part in the DPD race are business players Kemala Motik and Pontjo Soetowo, and the chairman of Government Watch (Gowa), Farid Faqih.

Taufik said that the last chance to collect the forms would be at midnight on Monday at the commission's offices on Jl. Soeprapto Kav. III, Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta.

Candidates must return their registration forms between July 15 and Sept. 8. Each of them must be supported by at least 3,000 people, with copies of the supporters' ID cards being submitted along with the forms.

The commission's approach to the registration process has drawn criticism from the non-governmental organization, the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta).

"Such a unheralded process of selecting DPD candidates indicates to us that the commission is only targeting certain groups of people," Fakta chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Tigor criticized the selection process, saying it could stymie the wishes of credible figures to take part in the race.

Noted urban affairs analyst Marco Kusumawijaya, who reportedly intended to participate in the race for the DPD, said he knew nothing about the process.

"I was just informed by you," Marco told the Post, without confirming whether he would pick up a registration form from the commission.

The DPD and the House of Representatives (DPR) will jointly constitute the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the highest legislative body in the country, in the same way that Congress and the Senate jointly make up Congress in the U.S.

The members of the DPD will be elected for the first time during the next legislative elections, with four members being returned for each province.

In the current People's Consultative Assembly, there is a Regional Representatives Faction, whose members were appointed by the provincial legislative councils.

While the House of Representatives' members will be elected by the people through the political parties in the next election, the DPD members will be elected as individual candidates.

DPD nomination process: 1. Participants are individual contestants; 2. Forms available from July 8 to July 14; 3. Forms to be returned to KPUD between July 15 and Sept. 8; 4. Administrative verification by KPUD from July 16 to Sept. 16; 5. Verification results forwarded to municipality/regency KPU on Sept 17 and Sept. 18; 6. Factual verification by municipalty/regency KPU from Sept. 19 to Sept. 30; 7. Verification results handed over to KPUD on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2; 8. Announcement of verification to DPD nominees from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5; 9. Opportunity to complete requirements from Oct. 6 to Oct. 12; 10. Further verification by KPUD between Oct. 13 and Oct. 17; 11. Results of verification given to municipality/regency KPU on Oct. 18 and Oct. 19; 12. Verification by municipality/regency KPU from Oct. 20 to Oct. 31; 13. Result of verification returned to KPUD; 14. Announcement of candidates on Dec. 9; 15. Drawing up of candidate lists from Dec. 16 to Dec. 18.