Govt, TNI, police respond to KPU's logistics needs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the General Elections Commission (KPU) disclosed on Wednesday that only 20 percent of the 660 million ballot papers needed for the elections had been produced, on the same day, President Megawati Soekarnoputri instructed the Indonesian Military, the National Police and the Ministry of Transportation to assist in the distribution of ballot papers nationwide.

Citing the result of a government study on 13 provinces, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the logistic issues were among the most urgent that needed to be addressed before the general election on April 5.

Hari assured the government would not interfere with other electoral preparations being made by the KPU, and that the logistics assistance was provided at the commission's request.

KPU chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, who accompanied Hari during the media briefing, concurred: "I would like to stress that this is not government intervention, as it was I who asked for the support."

He echoed Megawati's optimism that election day would be held as scheduled.

In contrast to Nazaruddin's confidence, in Semarang, Central Java, KPU member Mulyana W Kusumah merely expressed his hope that the contracted ballot paper printers could finish their tasks at least by March 20. In regards the ballot boxes, he said the commission was still 30 percent short of the nearly two million needed.

In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, PT Surya Agung, the company in charge of procuring 11.9 million ballot papers, has thrown in the towel. It informed the KPU it would not be able to meet the deadlines and unilaterally terminated its contract.

Provincial General Elections Commission (KPUD) member Mappinawang blamed the KPU for its refusal to award the job to companies other than PT Surya Agung.

"There are 10 companies that offered not only a better price, but also readiness to meet the deadline," Mappinawang said.

In Surakarta, Central Java, PT Pabelan Cerdas Nusantara (PCN), one of 18 contracted printers for the province threatened to stop printing unless it received a 20 percent hike. A company executive said Rp 275 per ballot paper was far below actual printing costs.

"Each regency and municipality has different kinds of paper, and it strongly influences our production cost," PCN manager Sasongko said on Wednesday.

Apart from providing ballot papers for the province, PCN has also been assigned to provide ballot papers for the provinces of Maluku, North Maluku, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Riau and Bangka-Belitung.

Meanwhile, the Tangerang KPUD discovered on Tuesday some 6,000 fake ballot papers in Benda village, Pamulang district.

The fake ballot papers were found after officers of the local election committee (PPS) became suspicious because the ballot papers did not match the head-count on the Temporary Voter List for Fixed Voting Subprecinct (DPS-DPT).

Tangerang KPUD chief Jamaluddin said on Wednesday that the 6,000 fake ballots were found on Jl. Olah Raga, Pamulang.

"It is highly unlikely that a neighborhood unit in the village has up to 6,000 voters," he said.

Jamaluddin believed the mistake was made by voter registration officers, and had instructed the district election committee to withdraw all ballot papers from Benda village.

In Surabaya, East Java, a legislative candidate from the Pancasila Patriots' Party, Mukhlas, claimed he had come across several fake ballot papers in the city.

A taxi driver had allegedly found several ballots left behind in his car and handed them over to Mukhlas. The Surabaya KPUD has also received fake ballots.