KPU hindered by absence of population data

JAKARTA (JP): Latest data on the country's population was still unavailable to the General Elections Commission (KPU) as of Tuesday, causing a further delay in the allotment of legislative seats.

Commission members acknowledged they failed to file their request for the information with the Ministry of Home Affairs early enough to give the ministry time to gather the data. The ministry had promised to deliver the data on Tuesday.

The allocation of the seats is at a stalemate, Adnan Buyung Nasution, KPU chairman of subcommission B for organization and laws, said. "We're trying to push the Ministry of Home Affairs to give us the data. The deadline is Wednesday."

The law on elections stipulates that the KPU is responsible for determining the number of seats in the legislature, both at the national and regency levels.

However, data on district populations, considered the most accurate information to calculate regency populations because of the fast expansion of districts, was not yet available.

Commission members earlier had used data from the 1997 election which was based on 1995 statistics. However, the home affairs ministry said 11 newly established regencies must be included with the existing 316 regencies. The commission, forced to redetermine the allotment of legislative seats, decided to base its calculations on the latest population figures.

"KPU won't take the chance of being blamed if there is a miscalculation," Sjafuddinsyah of the Love Peace Party (Partai Cinta Damai) said.

The allotment of legislative seats for East Timor will be discussed separately. In the past, the province only was allotted four seats given its small size and population.

On Monday, Director General for General Administration and Regional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid said it was up to the commission to decide whether the province of 800,000 people would be allotted 13 seats, or one seat for each of its regencies.

Sjafuddinsyah said some KPU members felt allotting 13 seats to East Timor would be unfair, compared to Irian Jaya, for example, which has 2.5 million residents but only will receive 12 legislative seats.

"If the government does not give us further instructions, we will have to give East Timor 13 seats according to the law on elections," Sjafuddinsyah said.

The commission also ruled that political parties should name other parties which with they would share undivided number of seats before election day on June 7.

The commission also ruled on the use of wooden ballot boxes instead of transparent boxes. "Constructing wooden ballot boxes will add to people's income," KPU chairman Rudini said.

While the controversial proposal of providing each of the 48 political parties contesting the general election Rp 1 billion has not been settled, Rudini said each party would receive Rp 150 million this week, the same amount of funding the government gave parties contesting past elections. (edt)