KPU not planning to sue Survindo
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite mounting demands for the General Elections Commission (KPU) to take legal action against PT Survindo Indah Prestasi, the commission has not decided whether or not it would investigate the company that won the tender for its ballot box project.
KPU member Chusnul Mar'iyah said on Friday that the tender was conducted in accordance with procedures stipulated in a presidential decree.
"At that time Survindo's proposal was very impressive compared to other bids," said Chusnul, head of KPU logistics division.
Non-governmental organizations Government Watch, Monopoly Watch, and the Indonesian Committee for Elections Monitoring (KIPP) have called on the KPU to take legal action against KPU's tender committee and Survindo over the ballot box fiasco.
The public have raised questions as to how Survindo, which failed to meet ballot box production target due to financial constraints, won KPU's project to produce 2.19 million ballot boxes worth Rp 311 billion.
Some NGOs have alleged collusion in the tender process and called for an investigation of KPU's tender committee and Survindo.
KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin said last week that there would be no legal action taken against either the tender committee or Survindo.
Survindo, however, has failed to produce the ballot boxes on time, prompting KPU to award 40 percent of the project to PT Tjakrindo Mas on Dec. 23.
As of Dec. 31, however, Survindo managed to produce only 30,000 of a targeted 600,000 boxes.
KPU decided to annul its contract with Survindo on Jan. 21 and awarded 10 percent of the project to PT Almas. The commission also planned to increase Tjakrindo's portion in the project.
As of now the three companies have produced a total of 645,000 ballot boxes. All ballot boxes must reach regencies across the country by March 5.
Several regional KPU (KPUDs) such as Irian Jaya KPUD have complained that many regencies would not receive the boxes on time.
Indonesia will hold the legislative election on April 5 and the presidential election on July 5 with the second round on Sept. 20 if there is no outright winner.
Separately, Survindo's director Sihol Manullang rejected on Friday the present split by KPU, saying it was unfair as the firm had spent more than 41 percent of a total Rp 311 billion on the box project.
"We cannot accept it if our share, 60 percent of the total 2.19 million boxes, is split once again with another firm," he said.
"We will suffer potential losses of Rp 31 billion if KPU dares to do that," said Manullang, adding that Survindo's lawyers would negotiate with KPU on Friday evening to seek a possible solution.