KPU members off on more trips abroad

KPU members off on more trips abroad

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

General Elections Commission (KPU) members and officials have
embarked on a second round of trips across the world, claiming
these are necessary to disseminate information on the elections
to some two million Indonesian voters overseas.

KPU secretary-general Safder Yusacc said on Tuesday that this
time around the overseas visits were aimed at training
Indonesian election committee officials abroad.

"We are traveling to train and inform officials about the new
procedures for this year's elections. We are not just going on
jaunts," Yusacc insisted.

He added that it was impossible to train the officials, based
in over 100 countries, in Jakarta as the cost would be
prohibitive.

The latest overseas trips will cost the KPU over Rp 1 billion
(US$117,600), which has been taken from the Rp 22 billion
allocated for election preparations abroad.

KPU members Chusnul Mar'iyah and Valina Singka Subekti were in
Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok from Jan. 3 to Jan. 5.

Another member, Rusadi Kantaprawira, left for Mexico on Jan.
4, while KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin is scheduled to
depart on Wednesday for a week-long trip that will take him to a
number of European countries, including Spain and the Czech
Republic.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, who is supposed to accompany
Nazaruddin, reportedly left hospital on Tuesday after being
treated for dengue fever and was uncertain about whether he would
be able to travel.

Mulyana is also scheduled to fly to Tokyo after his visit to
Europe.

KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti will leave for North
America on Jan. 14, and KPU member Daan Dimara will visit India,
but his schedule has not yet been confirmed.

Another KPU member, Hamid Awaluddin, will travel to the Middle
East on Jan. 21 for a two-day visit there.

There are more than 143 million eligible voters at home, while
only about two million Indonesians are expected to register as
overseas voters.

Overseas voters will only elect five members of the House of
Representatives.

The KPU has been criticized for its lackluster performance in
promoting the elections at home.

The general election is scheduled for April 5, 2004, and the
presidential election for July 5, with the run-off, if this
proves to be necessary, on Sept. 20.

Late last year, six of the nine KPU members went overseas
despite a mountain of outstanding work at home, including the
screening of political parties, determining seat allocations and
the mapping of electoral districts.