First direct elections in Aceh regions postponed

First direct elections in Aceh regions postponed

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While other regions across the country are gearing up to hold the
first direct regional elections in June, five regencies in Aceh
will have to postpone the event following the tsunami disaster.

Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf said on Monday that
regional elections in five regencies of Aceh including Calang,
Meulaboh and the mayoralty of Banda Aceh will be postponed
indefinitely.

The three areas were severely affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

"Public facilities have been badly damaged, and officials are
not ready and residents are still suffering," he told reporters
after a breakfast meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
at the Merdeka Palace.

Ma'ruf could not say when residents in the five regencies
could exercise their right to elect their respective leaders
directly.

"We don't know yet because these regencies are still under
emergency rule," he said.

Ma'ruf said that the President would issue a presidential
decree on the postponement.

Various regions across the country are set to hold regional
elections in June to directly elect more than 200 regional
leaders including regents, mayors and governors whose terms will
end soon.

The government has ruled that other regencies in Aceh, which
survived the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, must conduct the
regional election as scheduled, including voting for a new
governor.

Aceh's current governor, Abdullah Puteh, was suspended by the
President after he was charged with corruption last year.

For Papua, Ma'ruf said that the government would conduct the
election in line "with existing legislation", referring to a
government regulation on the establishment of the Papua People's
Assembly (MRP) and Law No. 21/2001 on special autonomy in Papua.

"We'll push for the establishment of the MRP first (before
conducting the election)," he said.

Separately, the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced
that it would issue national guidelines for KPU branches (KPUDs)
in a bid to standardize the regional election process across the
country, Antara reported.

KPU Chairman Nazaruddin said that the technical guidance, such
as budgeting and ballot logistic preparations, was mandatory for
KPUDs as it would be the first experience for all of them in
conducting regional elections.

"Currently, different KPUDs have different guidelines for
regional elections. They must be standardized nationally," he
told reporters after a meeting with the House of
Representatives's Commission III on legal and human rights.