Final results on June 21: KPU

Final results on June 21: KPU

JAKARTA (JP): Representative of parties contesting Monday's
poll urged the General Elections Commission (KPU) to improve its
performance and keep to the original schedule in announcing its
vote count.

Amid continuing reports of glitches at the local level of vote
counting, leaders of the political parties, including Akbar
Tandjung of Golkar and Yusril Ihza Mahendra of the Crescent Star
Party (PBB), met with commission (KPU) chairman Rudini.

The politicians, who also included Nurdin Purnomo of the
Indonesian Unity in Diversity Party (PBI) and Clara Sitompoel of
the Indonesian Christian Nationalists Party (Krisna), also called
for a daily updated display of the results.

In response, Rudini told a media briefing at the Joint
Operations Media Center (JOMC) at the Aryaduta Hotel that the
final announcement of vote counting results would be made on June
21. According to the schedule, results of vote counting at the
district level are due to be announced on June 10, for the
regency level on June 14, and for the provincial level on June
17.

Poll observers earlier voiced concerns that behind the scenes
maneuvering might be behind the slow vote tally. A party
executive requesting anonymity also hinted he was suspicious of
the process.

JOMC operational director Ross Mackay denied vote counting was
unpunctual, saying the JOMC had been on schedule in terms of
providing "early and indicative" results of the June 7 poll.

"The General Elections Commission here gave us till June 10 to
provide early indicative results... (Now) one can clearly see
which parties are leading in the provisional tally," he said on
Thursday. As of 12:14 p.m. on Thursday, at least 11 percent of
votes cast by approximately 112 million people had been tallied.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
and the ruling Golkar party were then leading with 4.1 million
votes and 2.56 million votes respectively.

"We are doing our jobs ... no technical problems here," Mackay
told The Jakarta Post.

Yusril refused to speculate that rigging was behind the slow
release of results. "I do not want to accuse anyone or any
parties of manipulating the poll results without sufficient and
accurate evidence," he said.

However he agreed that independent organizations and poll
monitoring institutions could continue issuing their daily
updated poll results, but should change the format from a
national accumulative report to a provincial accumulative report.

"A party's election victory does not rest on the number of
votes it can get, but obviously on the amount of seats for the
House of Representatives (DPR) it can secure in every province.

"The number of seats it secures will be determined by the
number of votes a party gets in a province divided by the divisor
in each province," he said, adding that the divisor differs from
one province to another.

Meanwhile, Rudini asked the JOMC not to use the KPU logo for
its vote tallies to avoid confusing the public.

Preliminary voting results announced since Monday included an
official tally by the KPU and an unofficial count by JOMC. The
figures differed.

"The official vote count is that of the KPU. Since JOMC's data
is different from that of the KPU I implore the center not to use
the commission's seal," Rudini said.

Parallel vote counting has been initiated by several other
institutions, including Antara news agency, the Independent
Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP), the University Network for
Free and Fair Elections (UNFREL) and the Rectors Forum.

KIPP announced Wednesday that PDI Perjuangan had gained 8.5
million votes based on information from some 22.9 million out of
the approximately 112 million voters nationwide.

The JOMC is operated by the International Foundation for
Election System, a foreign agency financed by the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP). Its vote count can be accessed at
http://www.kpu.go.id. The KPU vote count can be accessed at
http://hasilpemilu99.kpu.go.id.

The JOMC earlier promised it would deliver provisional results
more quickly than the KPU because it would tap subdistrict
election committees as its sources, while the KPU would obtain
its data from district election committees.

The meeting between Rudini and leading party officials was
held just three hours before the media conference, which was held
at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, deputy chairman of the General Elections
Committee (PPI) Djuhad Mahja said all institutions were free to
conduct their own tabulation of the vote count, but that the
official report would be issued by the KPU only.

"Reports outside of the one issued by the KPU, including the
ones displayed on the television screens, are not official," he
said.

Election observer and political scientist Miriam Budiardjo
suggested the public not only focus on the official data, but
also refer to unofficial results posted by other organizations.

"Remember that for so many years, the ruling Golkar party has
been the country's winning party," Miriam said.

She said this "victory" was not only enjoyed by Golkar, but
also by the Indonesian people.

"Most Indonesians have lived by this victory and have
prospered with it for 32 years. So what makes anybody think that
Golkar might not win again this time?" (imn/ylt)