How the KPU is handling the election preparations

How the KPU is handling the election preparations

Adi Abidin and Wandy N. Tuturoong, The Asia Foundation,
Jakarta

Dec. 8, 2003, was the day the General Elections Commission
(KPU) showed its strong credentials as the organizer of next
year's elections, when it hosted party leaders to draw their
electoral numbers. On that day, almost all party chairpersons
were present, including such state dignitaries as Megawati
Soekarnoputri, Akbar Tandjung and Amien Rais -- only Hamzah Haz
was absent. That night, these dignitaries sat before the KPU and
patiently waited their turn to draw their lot, on equal footing
with other party leaders.

The manner in which the event was conducted seems to give us
hope that the 2004 elections will also be conducted in a peaceful
and orderly manner, with results that all can accept as fair and
just, managed by an independent and credible institution.

The evening of Dec. 8 was also the end of the beginning, as
the selection of electoral candidates was completed through a
complex and diligent process by the KPU and its provincial and
regional branches across Indonesia.

This in itself was a mammoth undertaking, in which enormous
resources were managed according to a tight schedule so as to
produce a reliable result as to who could and who could not
contest in next year's elections.

Verifying electoral candidates is not the only important work
that the KPU has carried out thus far. The commission has also
prepared other vital electoral and logistical procedures such as
a voter registration system, an up-to-date IT network and a
nationwide electoral infrastructure in the form of Regional
General Elections Commission (KPUD) and Election Supervisory
Committees (Panwaslu) in all provinces and all 416 districts. The
KPU's responsibilities are all actualized on a huge scale -- a
reminder of just how massive Indonesia is.

There are, however, follow-up tasks no less crucial that must
be completed for the elections to be fair and just. The
challenges were evident immediately after the new Elections Law
was enacted last year. The legislature introduced a new set of
systems and procedures for the elections.

By implementing an open-list, or proportional, system that
allows voters to select a party and a candidate separately, and
by introducing the new Regional Representatives Council (DPD),
every voter has been given the opportunity to be a "first-time
voter" in the legislative election in April 2004.

With such a complex system, a campaign to equip voters with
enough information to cast an intelligent vote is crucial to the
success of the election -- especially when hopes are running high
that the elections will lead to entrenching democracy in
Indonesia.

A recent 2003 survey conducted by The Asia Foundation on
voters revealed critical findings to broaden the voter education
campaign, particularly in taking voters' interests into account.
The quality and quantity of their participation will be the main
indicators to measure the success of the election, as well as
democracy.

Signs that voters require more information are very prominent
in the survey. It shows that seven voters in 10, or 69 percent,
do not know the election month, while 22 percent give the wrong
month. Less than 9 percent of voters are aware that the
legislative election will be held in April 2004. As regards the
DPD, almost two-thirds of the electorate, or 65 percent, have not
heard of it or are unsure if they have, while a mere 9 percent
have knowledge of the DPD's role and responsibilities.

Despite the many calls to boycott the election, the survey
showed that the percentage of voters intending to participate in
the elections is high -- 91 percent for the legislative, and 93
percent for the presidential election. Yet, less than half -- 48
percent -- believed the election would make a difference.

Such signs pointing to the need for a more active campaign in
educating voters, however, should not be seen as undermining the
successful work of the KPU so far. Instead, they should be seen
as constructive input for the KPU and other relevant
organizations in educating voters through an enhanced focus on
providing electoral information.

Key information should include: dates for each election; the
role and responsibilities of the DPD; electoral procedures,
including voting procedures and ballot counting; electoral
violations; supervisory procedures and regulatory bodies.

The KPU has already established its reputation as an
independent and credible body; thus no further campaigning is
needed to gain voters' trust.

Instead, the KPU's voter education program -- as was once
mentioned by a KPU member -- should focus more on technical and
procedural information. This is not to say that civic or
qualitative education is not important -- this, too, should be
conducted. However, as it seems very few voters know when the
elections will be held, disseminating information should be a
real priority.

Considering the massive tasks and challenges leading up to the
elections, those committed to democracy through mass
organizations, non-governmental organizations and the media
should be a strategic partner to the KPU in intensifying voter
education. In this way, voters can be prepared to use their right
to vote wisely inside the polling booth.

The survey also revealed that 36 percent of potential voters
preferred to receive electoral information from the KPU, 49
percent from religious groups, 40 percent from social
organizations, 20 percent from political parties and 18 percent
from non-partisan voter education groups. Interestingly, the
majority of voters -- 54 percent -- wanted their neighborhood and
community heads to provide the information.

The results of this survey strongly suggest that the general
elections, according to potential voters, would likely be more
successful with continued excellence from the KPU and from
greater coordination between the KPU and those organizations
working for a better Indonesia in spreading electoral mechanics.