Gus Dur installs new KPU members

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid installed on Tuesday 11 new members of the General Elections Commission (KPU).

The new members were installed at a ceremony at Bina Graha presidential office (above photo), which was also attended by the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung and top cabinet ministers.

The new members, endorsed by the DPR last month, were Mulyana W. Kusumah, Ramlan Surbakti, Anas Urbaningrum, Daan Dimara, Rusadi Kantaprawira, Imam B. Prasodjo, Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, Chusnul Mar'iyah, F.X. Mudji Sutrisno, Hamid Awaluddin and Valina Singka Subekti.

They were installed to replace the election commission's 53 previous members, who represented the 48 political parties that contended the 1999 elections.

The replacement of the election commission members, charged with maintaining the institution's independence and ensuring free and fair elections in the future, was held in line with an ongoing review of the 1999 political laws.

Mulyana had earlier called on the House and the government to speed up the review of political laws and set comprehensive regulations on general elections, including the election commission.

He said the quality of the next elections would depend, not only on the election commission's independence, but also on the electoral system and laws.

Activists and political analysts have been calling on the government and the People's Consultative Assembly to include the district system and the bicameral parliamentary system in the Constitution, so that legislators would be more loyal to their constituents than to their own political parties.(byg)