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)