KPU may sue critic for slander

KPU may sue critic for slander

JAKARTA: As if members of the Indonesian General Elections
Commission (KPU) were not hard-pressed enough in carrying out
their mission, they might soon find themselves with an additional
job: dealing with a lawsuit.

KPU member Hamid Awaluddin, disclosed here on Friday that they
had been mulling over a plan to sue the director of the Center
for Regional Development Studies, Laode Ida, for allegedly making
slanderous comments against the commission.

"We are gathering the evidence (for the lawsuit). Although we
have not met in plenary session, all KPU members have the same
opinion on the plan to file a lawsuit against Laode Ida," Hamid
said.

He said Laode Ida -- who once nominated himself for membership
of the General Elections Monitoring Committee, but was apparently
rejected by the KPU -- has often discredited the commission.

He said the KPU members were open to criticism, "but cannot
accept slander."

Asked to quote an example of Laode Ida's slander, Hamid
referred to the latter's statement, widely quoted by the media,
on KPU members receiving Rp 25 million (US$3,000) in monthly
allowance.

KPU members reiterated, however, that they had neither met in
plenary session to discuss the plan nor sought the services of
legal counsel. --Antara