KPU and PPI toss out more election obstacles

JAKARTA (JP): Two bodies entrusted with the task of organizing the June 7 polls created further glitches on Tuesday for the nation wanting to see the end of the long-drawn political process.

The National Election Committee (PPI) broke its promise to finish allocating legislative seats because of disagreements on members, while the General Elections Commission (KPU) issued a statement branding the poll as unfair and not free.

"The KPU can accept President B.J. Habibie's recent decision to validate the poll results (following KPU's failure to endorse it on schedule)...but the validation is also a recognition that the poll did not run in a fair and free manner," chairman Rudini said.

The statement was a refutation of the Election Supervisory Committee's evaluation that the polls were conducted in a "relatively free and fair" manner. It conceded irregularities took place, but were at a tolerable level and should be handled by law enforcers.

The National Election Committee (PPI) failed to complete the seat allocation for parties before members disputed over how to treat the two vote-sharing agreements established by several parties.

The chairman of PPI, Jacob Tobing, previously planned to complete the task on Tuesday in order to leave enough time for other tasks before Aug. 28. It is scheduled to formalize the seat allocation which includes naming which legislators from which province to represent which parties in the House of Representatives.

Some members opposed the suggestion of allocating seats based on ranking of members of the stembus akoord (vote-sharing deals).

The KPU issued a radiogram on Tuesday urging election committees at the provincial and regional levels to observe a KPU decree on vote-sharing deals.

Rudini, who signed the radiogram, said they should refer to KPU Decree no. 136 which states the seat allocation should not harm any parties involved in the vote-sharing deals.

Last week, Habibie stepped in and declared the polls valid when the KPU failed to solicit the support of at least two thirds of its 55 members.

Emergency

Rudini also demanded on Tuesday the government set up an emergency court to investigate and legally process some government officials who have allegedly favored a certain political party, as well as violations in the elections.

The General Elections Commission also demanded the abolition of an electoral threshold stipulation so that parties which failed to secure at least 2 percent of the 500 House seats would still be allowed to contest the 2004 general election.

Provisional results showed that PDI Perjuangan won 154 seats, Golkar 120, United Development Party (PPP) 59, the National Awakening Party (PKB) 51, the National Mandate Party (PAN) 35, and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) 16 seats. The Indonesian Military (TNI) was earlier granted 38 unelected seats.

If the provisional result stands, only 27 seats remain to be apportioned. However, the National Elections Committee said on Tuesday 39 seats remained to be allocated.

Jacob said the elections commission would respect the Muslim parties' stembus akoord because it was based on a joint agreement among the parties and the so-called ukhuwah Islamiyyah (Muslim brotherhood).

"The Muslim parties have agreed to use the two mechanisms, namely the KPU decree on vote-sharing deals and on the use of ranking, and we should respect it," he said.

The elections commission recognized only two vote-sharing agreements. The first group comprises eight Muslim parties while the second is made up of the Indonesian Democrats Alliance Party (PADI), Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) and Indonesian Unity in Diversity Party (PBI).

Dissolve

In Yogyakarta, the constitutional law expert of the Gadjah Mada University, Muchsan, urged on Tuesday that President Habibie dissolve the KPU for failing to perform its tasks.

"The President has a legitimate and legal authority to disband the KPU, and he also has the moral authority to do so through a presidential decree," Muchsan said.

He said the body was filled with people seeking to meet their own interests, abusing authority and manipulating loopholes.

Muchsan also blasted the Team of 15, established by the KPU, to select representatives for the Interest Group faction at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) which will be entrusted with the task of electing a new president in November.

"Now they're seeking to abolish the electoral threshold," he said, citing an example of the maneuvers of certain parties in the elections commission.

"They asked for legislative seats even though they have not won enough votes to be represented," he said, in reference to a number of small parties defeated in the poll but insisted on obtaining legislative seats. Some parties falsely claimed to have formed a stembus akoord in order to get the coveted seats, Muchsan charged.

Meanwhile, a member of the Supreme Advisory Council, Siti Hartati Murdaya, lodged a complaint on Tuesday with the city police, against the Indonesian Buddhayana Council (MBI), a newly formed Buddhist organization, for alleged slander.

Siti, head of the Indonesian Buddhists Organization (Walubi), said that the council slandered her by circulating leaflets containing "offensive material" about her alleged ambition to be selected to sit on the Interest Group faction at MPR. (44/rms/ylt)