Golkar challenges KPU's decision on campaigning

JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar Party's Jakarta chapter questioned on Thursday the authority of the General Elections Commission (KPU) to prohibit ministers from campaigning.

The chapter's chairman, Tadjus Sobirin, said the commission's ruling had exceeded the authority of President B.J. Habibie who installed the commission members.

"President Habibie himself has allowed Cabinet ministers (not including five ministers and the attorney general) to campaign. If we don't listen to the President, who do we listen to?"

The KPU voted on Wednesday in favor of banning government officials, including Cabinet ministers from campaigning for parties contesting the June 7 general election.

Tadjus said if the practice was tolerated, he feared the KPU could become a "private house of representatives" with powers to even cancel the June general election.

He said a decision whether to forbid ministers from campaigning should be decided by each political party "as it deals with an internal problem".

KPU members should recognize the limitation of their authority, as they were only in charge of regulating campaign technical matters.

Golkar's deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman said on Wednesday the party would have to review its political stance toward Cabinet if the President showed inconsistency by accepting the KPU decision.

Habibie has banned five of 36 Cabinet ministers and the attorney general from campaigning.

The KPU ruling will deal a major blow to Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP) because many of their leaders and members hold positions in the Cabinet or state institutions.

In a related development, assistant to the city secretary on public administration affairs Tursandi Alwi, told The Jakarta Post that the city's Provincial Elections Committee (PPI I) would be installed on Saturday.

Tursandi said the committee would, among other things, determine whether city residents who did not hold identification cards were eligible to vote.

On Wednesday, chairman of the National Elections Committee (PPI) Jacob Tobing, said the committee had simplified the requirement for voter registration. People without identification cards would be allowed to show citizenship letters from their neighborhood chiefs, he said. (ind)