Film problem causes delay in ballot paper printing

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With only 37 days before the legislative election, the General Elections Commission (KPU) is still facing huge problems in completing the films for ballot paper printing.

KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Friday that 69 ballot paper films for the House of Representatives had already gone to print.

"We have still not completed 32 films for ballot papers for the Regional Representatives candidates. We have set the deadline to finish the film, but I cannot confirm it," he told reporters on Friday.

The commission will produce over 2,000 films to print the ballot papers for the House, DPD, provincial and regental legislatures.

The legislative election will be held on April 5, followed by the presidential election on July 5 and a possible runoff on Sept. 20.

He went on to say that validating the film had slowed down the printing process.

KPU deputy secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo, who signs working contracts with firms that win tenders for KPU projects, said that only 14 films had been delivered to printing companies so far.

A total of 18 printing consortia, each consisting of three to five printing firms, have been appointed by KPU to print 660 million ballot papers.

Sussongko said the working mechanism in the film making was not running well.

He also said he had not yet signed any working contracts with film providers State Printing Company (PNRI) and Grafitec.

"Without working contracts, we cannot do anything if there is mistake made by film providers," he said.

The slow film making has forced the KPU to delay the printing of ballot papers several times, which was supposed to start on Feb. 1, 2004.

The films must soon be delivered to the 18 printing consortia, so that they can print 660 million ballot papers and distribute them to regencies and municipalities by March 15 at the latest.

According to the KPU schedule, the ballot papers must reach polling stations on March 25 at the latest.

Separately, KPU member Chusnul Mar'iyah, who handles elections logistics, said she had set March 5 for the printing consortia to finish the printing of ballot papers.

She refused to elaborate on alternative plans if the printing consortia failed to meet the March 5 deadline.

But as most films had not been completed and the printing consortia needed three to five days to complete the printing, it is very unlikely they would be able to meet the March 5 deadline.

The problems of film-making and ballot paper printing will surely affect the distribution schedule.

Earlier, KPU faced problems in holding tenders for ballot boxes and indelible ink.

Ballot box tender winner PT Survindo Indah Prestasi had failed to meet its December deadline, forcing KPU to split the job between Tjakrindo Mas and Almas.

In the indelible ink tender, most bidders were proven financially unsound. Several of the tender winners also have weak financial capability to import ink.

KPU finally appointed three local ink producers to test local ink for the legislative election.

In the 1999 elections, locally produced ink was washed off in less than three days.