House retains current KPU members
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives decided to retain the current members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) until their tenure expires in March next year.
The decision was made by House of Representatives Commission II on local administration on Tuesday despite mounting demands for their dismissal amid an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption at the KPU.
House Commission II chairman Ferry Mursyidan Baldan said that the decision to allow the remaining active KPU members, who began their tenure in 2001, to serve until their five-year term expired was the best choice.
"They still have one important unfinished task, that is to finalize a report on the implementation of last year's general elections, which is crucial to improve the implementation of the next one in 2009," he said.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is currently investigating alleged corruption at the KPU in the purchase of election materials during last year's general elections.
The KPU initially had 11 members. But two members, Imam Prasodjo and Mudji Sutrisno, resigned in 2003 due to dual positions, while Hamid Awaluddin was named minister of justice and human rights last year in the current administration.
Mulyana W. Kusumah and KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin were recently arrested by the KPK for their alleged role in the kickbacks, while Anas Urbaningrum resigned recently after being elected as an executive in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democrat Party.
The five remaining active KPU members are Ramlan Surbakti, Chusnul Mar'iyah, Valina Singka Subekti, Rusadi Kantaprawira and Daan Dimara.
The House leadership previously gave Ferry's commission three options -- to retain the remaining five active members, to replace the other six members before the current tenure expires, or to select completely new members.
Ferry said his commission would start working to partially revise Law No. 12/2003 on general elections, particularly on articles about the KPU to establish a better-prepared commission.
"Of course, it's also to avoid the mistakes and troubles that happened to the current KPU," he said, referring to the graft probe launched by the KPK.
Among the items that may be revised was the membership of the commission and its working procedures, said Ferry.
"We have to consider whether having 11 members is adequate, or whether we need to include people who have technical expertise rather than just academics.
We also need to look into the KPU's procedures in the provision of election materials and the relationship between the members and the secretary-general," he explained.
In the meantime, Ferry said the government could start collecting new names for future KPU members to be submitted to the House for approval.
"If the government submits the names, let's say, by October or November, we could start screening them and have them in place as the new KPU members in March just as the current members finish their term," he said.
The General Election Law stipulates that the President selects the candidates for the KPU, who later have to be approved by the House.