KPU must proceed or risk delayed 2004 election

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite the absence of the required electoral bills, the General Elections Commission (KPU) is going ahead with its preparations for the 2004 general election. Otherwise, the elections might be delayed.

The work currently being done by KPU includes preparations for the establishment of KPU offices in 30 provinces and hundreds of regencies.

KPU is also preparing for a census and registration of eligible voters, in cooperation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).

Such preparations, however, run the risk of being redundant or unnecessary if general election bills, currently being deliberated by the House, rule differently.

Nevertheless, according to KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, the commission had no option but to do that.

"Although the bill has yet to be passed, we have already established KPU secretariats in all provinces. Otherwise, the general election would be delayed," said Mulyana.

KPU is also establishing shadow KPU secretariats in regencies and mayoralties in Java, and will soon move to outside Java.

Once the legal basis has been determined, these shadow KPU secretariats will be ready to operate.

Establishment of the KPU regional secretariats has been made easier by the issuance of an enabling presidential instruction to governors, regents and mayors.

Another important task being pursued by KPU is registration of voters, which will begin in March.

Mulyana explained that the registration of voters would produce not only a list of eligible voters, but also a database on them, which could be updated for future elections.

The registration process will cost KPU Rp 32 billion.

According to KPU deputy secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo, the registration would be carried out door-to-door by around 450,000 people, under BPS coordination.

These people are currently being trained, and would be deployed to the field during March.

Voter registration, however, is unlikely to be in conflict with the election bill, currently being debated at the House of Representatives.

The House has promised to approve the bill by the end of this month. However, some analysts and also KPU members doubt the House promise as there are still some contentious issues in the bill.

Another KPU member, Mudji Soetrisno, accused legislators of not being serious in deliberating the election bill, supposed to have been completed late last year.

Mudji accused some political parties of deliberately delaying approval of the general election bills so that the nation would be forced to use the previous election law or postpone the election altogether.

Nevertheless, deputy chairman of the House special committee on the general elections bill Ferry Mursyidan Baldan of the Golkar Party denied the allegation.

He expressed his optimism that the bill would be approved by the end of this month, as scheduled.

Once the House has passed the election bill, KPU would have two laws at its disposal, including the political party law. KPU would then need two more laws on presidential elections and structure of the legislature.

The latter is currently already with the House, but its deliberation has not been scheduled yet, while the former is still with the government.

Surprisingly, despite approval of the political party law, Mulyana said KPU could not yet start its work in selecting which of more than 200 political parties would be eligible to contest the 2004 election.

Mulyana contended that KPU could not make any decisions on political parties before they were verified by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

The KPU aims to hold the general election in June 2004, and the first round of presidential and vice presidential elections in August, with the second round -- if required -- in September.

Consequently, the country would have a new legislature and president in October 2004.

Main KPU tasks prior to 2004 general election

1. Establishment of regional KPU secretariats (under way)

2. Voter registration and data collection (March to November, 2003)

3. Establishment of KPU regional representatives (March to May, 2003)

4. Verification of political parties contesting elections (until December 2003)

5. Registration of candidates for the House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Representatives Councils (DPDs) and Regional Legislative Councils (DPRDs) (October 2003 to January 2004)

6. Determination of the final lists for DPR, DPD and DPRD (March to May 2004).

7. Election campaigns

8. General election to elect legislative members (June 2004)

9. Vote counting (July 2004)

10. Establishment of the DPR, DPD and DPRD

11. Presidential election campaign

12. First round of presidential election (August 2004)

13. Second round of presidential election (September 2004).