DPD selection kept under wraps: NGO

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.