Elections commission urgently needs branch offices in regions
Elections commission urgently needs branch offices in regions
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has urged the House of
Representatives to provide a legal basis for the establishment of
KPU branches in 30 provinces and 400 cities throughout the
country.
The establishment of KPU branch offices is needed for the
registration of voters and for verifying the political parties
that are to contest the general election in 2004.
"If we are given the authority to do so, we can take advantage
of the limited time left to us. The legislators should
immediately revise the electoral law," said KPU member Imam B.
Prasodjo during a meeting with House Commission II for home and
legal affairs here on Thursday.
Of the 11 KPU members, only eight showed up at the meeting to
hear about the preparations for the election.
The House is slated to deliberate the bills on general
elections and political parties soon.
Imam said that the existing Law No. 3/1999 on elections, which
gives the legal power the count ballots to the committee, should
be revised, with this power being transferred to the KPU branch
offices.
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said the establishment of
branch offices was urgent as it would take between six and nine
months for the process to be completed.
It is estimated that the member of employees of the KPU branch
offices could reach some 12,000.
During the hearing, which was presided over by deputy chairman
of Commission II Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, Ramlan also unveiled the
KPU's plans, including one to develop a computer network covering
30 provinces and the creation of a central database.
He emphasized that the public should be involved in the
election process so as to restore public trust in the political
system.
Ramlan, who is a lecturer in politics in the Surabaya-based
Airlangga University, expressed fears that polls might not be
able to be held in conflict zones unless security was improved.
Aceh, Maluku and Poso are among the flash points in the
country.
Ramlan said that deliberation of the electoral and political
party bills should be completed by the end of this year at the
latest.
Assuming that the elections would be held in June 2004, he
said, the KPU would only have one-and-a-half years left to
prepare itself for the poll.
Instead of giving support to the KPU, some legislators
questioned the double salaries received by some of its members.
Panda Nababan and J.E. Sahetapy of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) urged KPU members to work
seriously in preparing for the election, which is expected to be
the country's first direct presidential election ever.
Panda demanded that KPU members focus on preparations for the
election, and eschew invitations to seminars.
Sahetapy added that the nine KPU members who received double
salaries -- as KPU members and as civil servants -- should forego
one of their salaries.
But Ramlan said that there was no regulation that banned them
from receiving salaries in respect of their duties both as KPU
members and civil servants.