Elections committee's members request transportation fees

Elections committee's members request transportation fees

JAKARTA (JP): Members of the Jakarta Provincial Elections
Committee (PPD I) have asked Governor Sutiyoso to provide them
with transportation costs, chairman Djafar Badjeber said on
Friday.

Djafar said any such financial assistance, if approved by
Sutiyoso, would not violate any rules, because all the PPD I
members "had worked long days and nights".

"As chairman of the committee, I will fight for the opinions
of my colleagues. They deserve the money," he told The Jakarta
Post.

He said the request to the governor was made in an official
letter sent "a long time ago".

In the letter, the PPD I only asked for "transportation
incentives".

"We did not mention the amount," Djafar from the United
Development Party (PPP) said.

"It will be totally up to Governor Sutiyoso. It's just a
request. We are not forcing (this). It'll be okay if he refuses
to meet our request."

Sutiyoso said on Thursday he had received the PPD I letter,
which was signed by Djafar.

The committee's letter said "transportation incentives are
needed because the parties lack funds", the governor said.

When asked to comment on reports that he had provided Rp 5
million to each of the 48 political party representatives at PPD
I to speed up the vote counting process, Sutiyoso denied the
accusation: "It's 100 percent wrong."

Vote counting in the capital has been delayed on several
occasions, because of claims by the minor parties of
irregularities.

Their position appeared to soften on Wednesday, when it was
agreed that the official reports on the vote result would be
signed, but with additional notes.

The process was delayed again on Friday due to further
complaints made by representatives from the minor parties over
the alleged voting irregularities.

Some of the representatives were subsequently expelled from a
closed door meeting.

A reliable source attending the meeting said members were
discussing media reports on the governor's alleged Rp 5 million
financial assistance to each of the PPD I members.

Djafar, however, denied the suggestion, saying the party's
representatives only discussed internal problems.

Djafar promised that signing of the official reports of the
vote results in the city would be held on Saturday.

"God willing, if everything runs smoothly tomorrow (Saturday)
we will no longer delay the signing.".(ind)