KPU cancels four firms' ink contracts

KPU cancels four firms' ink contracts

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta

The General Elections Commission (KPU) severed on Friday
contracts with four firms for procuring substandard ink for the
July 5 presidential poll.

A KPU member overseeing ink procurement, Valina Singka
Subekti, said the commission would also shave 5 percent off the
payments for PT Printcolor Indonesia, PT Asgarindo Utama, PT
Cipta Tora Utama and PT Benda Utama as a penalty.

"Laboratory tests conducted by the University of Indonesia and
the Indonesian Institute of Sciences showed that the ink produced
by the firms did not perform according to the agreed standard,"
Valina said.

According to the contracts, the four companies were also to
procure indelible ink for the Sept. 20 election runoff.

Voters and independent polls observers expressed surprise to
see the ink used in the presidential election wear off after a
short period. The KPU had estimated the ink would last for three
days.

Voters' fingers were marked with ink to prevent multiple
voting.

Unlike in the April 5 legislative election, the KPU used
locally produced ink for the July polls.

KPU deputy secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo said the
punitive measures were the most severe the commission could
impose.

"Our agreement with the firms said nothing about what
penalties they would face should they violate the contract.
Penalties could be imposed in the case of a dispute, and we
consider the ink problem a dispute," he said.

He said the commission had taken samples and carried out its
own test on the ink before it was distributed to polling stations
throughout the country. The test showed the ink was of good
quality.

"It was impossible to examine all the ink. Moreover, it was
not like conducting a test on ballot boxes, in which we could
easily see any defects," he said.

Separately, KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said members
of the commission had agreed on a design of ballot papers to be
used in the election runoff.

The ballot papers will measure 17 cm by 26 cm and bear the
pictures of presidential candidates declared eligible to contest
the runoff and the KPU logo on the front cover and signatures of
polling station heads on the back cover.

The two sets of presidential candidates will have their
original ballot number from the July 5 polls on the paper.

Ramlan said the KPU chose the design drawn by state printing
company PNRI over two other bidders due to its feasibility.

"Not only is the design easier to puncture, therefore
preventing another double-puncture debacle, it is also economical
as it requires a smaller size of paper," he said.

He said the KPU would require at least 152,543,922 ballot
papers for the runoff, the figure of registered voters for the
July 5 polls minus ghost voters.

Printing will start after the Constitutional Court delivers
verdicts on presidential poll disputes on Aug. 10 at the latest.

An additional 2.5 percent of ballot papers will be needed as a
reserve.

The KPU expects to rehire most of the firms that printed
ballot papers for the July 5 poll. "Two or three firms' contracts
will not be renewed," Ramlan said.