KPU allocates most interest group seats
JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) completed on Thursday its task of appointing representatives of various groups in society to the 65-seat Interest Group faction at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
The interest group faction will later play an important role in the upcoming presidential election.
The commission selected 16 organizations on Thursday to represent economic interest groups in the Assembly, adding to the 49 already picked during earlier sessions.
Among those selected on Thursday included the Indonesian Cooperatives Council (Dekopin), Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Indonesian Youth Cooperative (Koppindo), Village Cooperatives Association (Inkud), Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI), Indonesian Fishermen Association (HNSI), Association of Notaries Authorized to issue Land Titles (IPPAT), Association of Young Indonesian Businessmen (Hipmi) and Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI).
The commission also allocated on Thursday five seats for representatives of students, youths and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Two organizations were named: the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI).
Organizations selected on Wednesday Aug. 18 included the National Council of Indonesian Association of the Handicapped (DNPCI), Sports Promotion Board for the Handicapped (BPOC), Indonesian Veterans Legion (LVRI) and Indonesian Independence Pioneers.
Another five seats which were allotted on Wednesday went to the Indonesian Civil Servants Corp (Korpri), including the Pensioners Association (PWRI), Federation of State Enterprise Workers Association and Korpri of the ministries of Home Affairs and Education and Culture.
Another three seats went to women organizations: Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani), Indonesian Women's Association (Perwari) and Indonesian Consultative Council for Muslim Women Organizations (BMOIWI). On Thursday, however, two more seats were allocated for religious' women groups, namely the Protestant Women and the Indonesian Muslim Women groups.
The KPU voted on Wednesday for a representative for Buddhism, Council of Buddhist Communities (Walubi) and Protestantism, the Pentecostal Churches Association (PGPI).
The commission appointed on Thursday five seats to represent Indonesia's minority ethnics, namely the indigenous people of the Baduy in West Java, Dayak in Kalimantan, Sangir Talaud in Sulawesi, Kubu in Jambi and an ethnic tribe in Irian Jaya whose representative was not yet determined.
According to Antara, the last nine seats allocated during the plenary session of the commission on Thursday were for cultural workers, scientists and scholars. Candidates to represent this group included those from the Institute of Indonesian Engineers (PII), Indonesian Economists Association (ISEI) and Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI).
Rally
Activists of the Committee of Friendship for Confucian Religion (Kompak) staged another rally outside the KPU office also on Thursday. Their first protest took place on Aug. 10 when they demanded recognition of their faith as an official religion and protested the absence of a legislative seat to represent their community.
Kompak's leader, Uung Sendana, called for an end to religious discrimination facing Confucianism followers. "The republic's Constitution unquestionably guarantees religious freedom," he said.
Kompak then joined a media conference held by the Indonesian High Council of Confucianism (Matakin) at the headquarters of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organization.
NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid supported the protest, saying Indonesia was not a religious state. "Indonesia is a state of law, we are all subject to law sovereignty, not institutions," he said.
Abdurrahman said it was the State Intelligence Coordinating Board (Bakin) that banned Confucian teachings. "The only way to respond is to have Bakin dissolved," he said.
"Religious freedom is a very fundamental matter," Abdurrahman said. (05/10)