Jakarta poll body declares 'final' election result

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Regional Elections Committee announced its results of the June 7 election on Saturday, giving the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) the victory with nearly 40 percent of 4.6 million valid votes.

The Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) came second with 17 percent, the National Mandate Party (PAN) third with just under 17 percent and the Golkar Party a distant fourth with 10 percent.

The vote tally was almost identical for the election of representatives in the national legislature (DPR) and the City Council (DPRD).

The committee said another 770,000 ballot papers were not counted because they were either spoiled or not punched.

The result was endorsed by representatives of 18 of the 48 political parties contesting the election in the capital. The four government representatives also penned in their signatures.

All signed the results "with reservations" because of allegations of rampant rigging and fraud.

"The result is valid," committee chairman Djafar Badjeber said. "There are no regulations stating the minimum number of representatives to sign the result for it to be valid."

The other parties have until Monday to add their signatures, he said.

Djafar acknowledged that the committee found many irregularities in the way the election was conducted and in the way the votes were counted at the 10,198 polling stations.

A sampling survey on 509 polling stations found that, with a 95 percent degree of confidence, the elections fell short of the committee's minimum criteria for honest and fair elections.

On that basis, the committee said it could ascertain the validity of only 37 percent of the data.

The 18 parties which signed the results were PPP, Indonesian United Islam Party, Abul Yatama Party, Love the Nation Democratic Party, People's Choice Party, Crescent Star Party (PBB), Justice Party (PK), Nahdlatul Ummat Party, Independence Vanguard Party, Republican Party, Indonesian National Party-Marhaen, United Party (PP), National Awakening Party (PKB), MKGR Party, People's Sovereignty Party, Justice and Unity Party (PKP), All-Indonesian Workers Solidarity Party and Indonesian Workers Party.

Representatives of three big parties -- PAN, PDI Perjuangan and Golkar -- were absent at Saturday's meeting.

On the basis of the results announced on Saturday, PDI Perjuangan has won seven of the 18 DPR seats, while PPP and PAN have won three a piece and Golkar got one seat.

The PDI candidates who get elected are Roy B.B. Janis, Kwik Kian Gie, Sabam Sirait, Aberson Marle Sihaloho, Syaifullah Jusuf, Julius Usman and Hobbes Sinaga.

The result also means the election of three party chairmen: Amien Rais of PAN, Hamzah Haz of PPP and Akbar Tandjung of Golkar.

The two other PPP candidates elected are Rusydi Hamka and Munzir Taman while two from PAN are A.M. Fatwa and Afni Ahmad.

A DPR seat is worth 255,622 votes, a figure derived by dividing the number of valid votes by the 18 seats.

Four other DPR seats will have to be distributed on the basis of Stembus Akoord, an arrangement allowing parties to pool their leftover votes to win the remaining seats. If there were still more seats unallocated after this process, they will be given out to parties with the largest leftover votes.

The electoral committee did not announce the way the remaining four DPR seats will distributed, but judging by the leftover votes, one is expected to go to PK, one to PBB, one to PKB, and one to Golkar.

PDI Perjuangan is automatically assured 29 of the 76 DPRD seats that were contested, followed by PPP (13 seats), PAN (12), Golkar (7), PK (3), PKB (2) and PBB (1).

A DPRD seat is worth 60,347 votes.

PK won two more seats on the basis of a Stembus Akoord it signed with seven other Muslim parties, including PBB and PPP.

According to the committee, the remaining seven seats, given to parties with the largest leftover votes, went to PK, PKP, PDI Perjuangan, Golkar, PP, Indonesian Unity and Diversity Party, PKB and PAN.

The DPRD will comprise 85 seats, including nine given to the Indonesian Military, whose members did not vote in the general election.(ind)