KPU gears up for presidential poll
KPU gears up for presidential poll
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
With vote counting in the April 5 legislative election yet to be
completed, the General Elections Commission (KPU) is now bracing
for an even bigger task -- organizing the presidential election.
Deputy head Ramlan Surbakti said on Thursday the commission
was preparing for voter registrations, disseminating election
information, screening candidates and creating election
materials.
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS), which carried out the
population census for the April 5 election, would announce the
preliminary list of registered voters on Friday, Ramlan said.
Unregistered elligible voters would have the chance to register
from April 25 through May 10, he said.
"The BPS has updated the list of registered voters with those
who turn 17 years old by the voting date of July 5. The temporary
list from the BPS has been distributed to the regional
commissions (KPUDs) and will be announced by the village election
committees," Ramlan said.
He predicted registered voters for the country's first ever
direct presidential election would reach 150 million, up from
around 147.5 million voters for the legislative election.
"For the voter registrations, we will encourage elligible
voters to register with their local community leaders," he said.
In the legislative election, BPS staff visited eligible voters
in their homes. However, many voters complained that they were
not visited or they had remained unregistered despite visits.
Ramlan said the KPU was evaluating the performance of
companies that had printed ballot papers, film negatives, ballot-
counting forms and envelopes for the legislative elections.
"Based on the evaluation, we will appoint the best companies
to provide election materials. This procurement process will
start as soon as possible, " he said.
The KPU would need between 4,000 tons to 7,000 tons of paper
for the presidential election, Ramlan said.
Election rules say parties and coalitions that won at least 3
percent of the seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) or 5
percent of the votes in the April 5 legislative election are
allowed to field candidates in the July 5 presidential election.
Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (DPI-P); Gen. (ret) Wiranto of the Golkar Party; Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party (PD); and Amien Rais of
the National Mandate Party (PAN); have all announced their plans
to run for president.
Former president Abdurrahman Wahid has also said he will
contest the election but many doubt he will pass the KPU's health
screening requirements. Hamzah Haz of the United Development
Party (PPP) will settle for the vice presidential post, while
Hidayat Nurwahid of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has
decided not to field any candidate.
Ramlan said the KPU would order the printing of about 165
million ballot papers for 150 million voters in the election.
On Wednesday, commission official Valina Singka Subekti said
the KPU would start disseminating information about the
presidential election through provincial and regional commissions
and advertisements on TV and radio.
Leaflets, flyers, and posters will also be printed, while
daily advertisements will be aired on TVRI, RCTI, SCTV, Trans TV,
Indosiar, ANTV and TV7, Republic of Indonesia Radio, and the 68H
radio network, she said.
KPU official Anas Urbaningrum said the registration of
presidential candidates and their running mates would run from
May 1 through May 7.
The registration period would be moved back if the
announcement of official legislative election results was not
made by the end of April, he said.
"We predict eight pairs of presidential and vice presidential
candidates will submit their candidacies to the KPU," he said.