KPU allocates most interest group seats

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)