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.