KPU must be independent, professional: Candidates

KPU must be independent, professional: Candidates

JAKARTA (JP): The integrity of the 2004 general election will
depend much on the Indonesian Election Commission (KPU)'s
independence and its members' professionalism, KPU candidates
said on Wednesday.

Chusnul Mar'iyah, a candidate from the University of
Indonesia's (UI) School of Social and Political Science, said
members of the election commission must be able to professionally
organize the next elections and be immune to pressure from
political parties.

"The election commission must be able to work independently
and professionally to help make the next general election free
and fair," she said before the House of Representatives'
Commission II for home and legal affairs during a fit-and-proper
test session.

She said KPU's independence could be assessed by its election
regulations and how it dealt with political parties that violated
election laws and codes of conduct.

"KPU must have the courage to take stern action against
parties that violate the election rules during the campaign
period or on the election day," she said, adding that the House,
which was currently reviewing laws on elections and political
parties, should impose stern penalties on parties involved in
money politics.

Ari Pradanawati, a KPU candidate from the Semarang-based
Diponegoro University in Central Java, said the next general
election must be well-organized as it would determine the quality
of the future legislative body and government.

"Besides KPU's independence and professionalism, the next
elections should use the district system in selecting suitable
candidates to sit in the House of Representatives and evaluating
the present government's performance," she said.

Ari, who is also a former member of the disbanded Central Java
provincial election committee (PPD), said the proportional system
currently used in elections could be easily manipulated by
political parties.

"That's why many have questioned whether the present
legislators really represent the people as the House has paid
less attention to the problems being faced by the people," she
said.

She said the next elections would be an opportunity for the
people to evaluate the performance of the current government and
legislative body.

She said the people should not vote for parties whose
legislators had performed poorly in the House.

Adhyaksa Dault, a KPU candidate nominated by the Indonesian
National Youth Committee (KNPI), concurred, saying independent
election commission members were needed because the commission
would play a critical role in determining the future of democracy
in the country.

He proposed the establishment of a supervisory committee to
oversee election candidates.

"The supervisory committee can advice KPU on parties which
have violated the election laws and codes of conduct," he said.

The House Commission II will select 11 of 21 candidates
proposed by the government.

Meanwhile, the coalition of non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) criticized Commission II for its lack of transparency in
selecting KPU members.

Hadar N. Gumay, coordinator of the NGO coalition, said the
House had never publicly disclosed the candidates for the public
to participate in the selection.

"The House has received about 100 letters from the public but
it has declined to divulge their contents. Besides, the public do
not know the criteria used in the selection," he said.

Other candidates who will undergo the fit-and-proper test,
which will be completed by Friday, are former chairman of the
Indonesian Muslim Student Association (HMI) Anas Urbaningrum,
chairman of the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP)
Mulyana W. Kusumah, UI's political lecturers Nazaruddin
Sjamsuddin and Valina Singka, Surabaya-based Airlangga
University's political lecturers Daniel Sparringa and Ramlan
Surbakti, UI's sociologist Imam B. Prasodjo, Muslim scholar
Komaruddin Hidayat and Catholic priest Mudji Sutrisno. (rms)