Fit and proper test planned to choose members for KPUD
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) plans to conduct a fit and proper test to select five members for the Jakarta General Election Commission (KPUD) on Sunday, after names of the 10 candidates competing for the job were revealed on Thursday.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the commission would send only its chairman, Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, to conduct the test on Sunday.
"Due to time constraints and our mission to keep the commission's budget tight, the KPU will only send one member to conduct the fit and proper test in each province to establish provincial KPUDs," he said.
He added that the results of the test nationwide, including the Jakarta KPUD would be taken up at the KPU's plenary meeting on Monday before being made public either on May 19 or May 20.
The 10 candidates are vying for five vacant positions in the Jakarta provincial KPUD. The KPU is in charge of holding the fit and proper test to determine the suitability of candidates as KPUD members.
There has been some criticism over the quality of the candidates as only a few are known to the public. The five members of the provincial KPUD will serve a five-year term and are expected to receive a salary of Rp 7 million (US$786) a month.
The provincial KPUD's duty is to organize the upcoming legislative elections in 2004 at the provincial level and to select members of KPUDs at the mayoralty and regency level.
After the Jakarta KPUD is established, it will select five members for the province's five mayoralties and also for the Kepulauan Seribu regency. Each KPUD will organize the legislative election at their respective levels.
Indonesia will witness its first direct presidential election next year. The legislative election for the national legislature will be held on April 5, followed by the presidential election between June and August. ----------------------------------------------------------------
KPU candidates for municipalities and regencies ----------------------------------------------------------------
Name Background 1. Ariza Patria Indonesian National Youth
Committee (KNPI) 2. Parnawaty Khalid Public figure 3. Imas Sidik Public figure 4. Juri Ardianto Independent Election
Monitoring Committee (KIPP) 5. M. Taufik Jakarta Research Center (PPEJ) 6. Muflizar Public figure 7. Hamdan Rasyid Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) 8. Nursyamsiah Public figure 9. Rachman Nansyaah Lecturer 10. Tubagus Haryo Kardiyanto Legal Aid Institute (LBH)
Source: Independent Election Team ----------------------------------------------------------------