KPU government representatives thrown out of meeting

KPU government representatives thrown out of meeting

JAKARTA (JP): Political party representatives on the General
Elections Commission (KPU) removed two government representatives
from the commission's plenary session on Wednesday.

The two government representatives had suggested separately on
Tuesday that KPU members from parties which had failed to gain 2
percent of the vote, or 10 of the 462 seats in the House of
Representatives, in the general election should no longer be
allowed to sit on the commission.

Lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution and Andi A. Mallarangeng, two of
five government representatives on the KPU, said outside the
meeting they regretted they were not given the chance to clarify
their statements.

"It was a personal view which I can account for from a legal
and political point of view," Andi said.

Andi said on Tuesday parties which failed to garner 2 percent
of the vote in the general election would not be eligible to
contest the next general election and therefore should no longer
be allowed to sit on the commission.

While the 1999 law on elections stipulates political parties
which fail to gain 2 percent of the seats in the House of
Representatives are not eligible to contest the next elections,
there is no explicit rule dealing with party representatives on
the KPU. The commission will continue its work until 2004.

Provisional results as of Wednesday revealed little progress
compared to Tuesday. Only four out of 48 contestants had gained
over 10 seats with PAN still just nearing the threshold with nine
seats. The four were the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) with 65 seats, the Golkar Party with 30 seats,
the National Awakening Party (PKB) with 30 seats and the United
Development Party (PPP) with 14 seats.

Andi and Adnan were asked to leave the plenary session, which
was called to discuss reports of elections violations. The topic
of the session, presided over by KPU chairman Rudini, turned to
the possible dismissal of the two government representatives from
the commission.

KPU members, particularly those from parties which are not
expected to win 2 percent of the seats in the House, pressed
Rudini to convey their demand that the two be removed from the
commission to President B.J. Habibie.

Guaranteed

The Indonesian People's Party's (Pari) KPU representative,
Agus Miftah, said no individual or institution had the authority
to annul representatives' memberships in the commission because
their presence was guaranteed by the law on elections.

There were, however, differing views. Indonesian Workers Party
(PPI) chairman A. Harahap said his party would recall its
representatives on the KPU and the National Elections Committee.
As of Wednesday, PPI had not won any seats in the House.

Rudini, the MKGR Party's representative on the KPU, said he
would not mind stepping down from the commission after gaining
confirmation that his party failed to win at least 10 seats in
the House.

"Why would I be persist in staying on the commission if my
party doesn't get the minimum number of seats," he said. Based on
provisional results, MKGR Party has not won any seats in the
House.

The National Mandate Party's (PAN) representative on the
commission, Hasbalah M. Saad, agreed, saying he would resign from
the KPU if his party did not meet the legal requirements.

He said he was dissatisfied with many of the KPU members from
smaller political parties because they were not committed to the
work of the KPU.

"They will create disturbances if they continue to sit on the
commission," he said.

By 10:30 p.m. the results issued by the General Elections
Commission for the House of Representatives showed that
frontrunner PDI Perjuangan had gained 22.1 million votes,
followed by Golkar Party with 11.3 million votes and PKB with
10.9 million votes. PPP came fourth with 6 million votes and PAN
came fifth with 4.1 million votes. (rms)