KPU, police sign security agreement
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) and the National Police signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday that requires the later to maintain security prior to and during the 2004 legislative and presidential elections.
Commission chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin said the MOU ordered the police to provide security during political campaigning conducted by parties contesting the elections as such events were prone to disturbances.
In the MOU, which was inked by Nazaruddin and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, the police also agreed to back up the commission in enforcing its decisions against any parties violating Law No. 12/2003 on general elections.
"The security agreement between the commission and the police is needed because we consider the election process to be prone to security disturbances sparked by politicians who are disappointed with our decisions or by the supporters of political parties during the campaign," Nazaruddin said after the signing of the MOU at National Police headquarters.
The MOU does not specifically provide for security arrangements in the country's restive provinces. According to Nazaruddin, "these are technical matters and will be left to the police."
Accompanying Nazaruddin were several commission members, including his deputy, Ramlan Surbakti.
Ramlan said controversy would arise as soon as the vetting of political parties commenced.
The KPU has also prepared itself for any problems arising from the distribution of supplies to local commission offices, particularly offices in conflict-prone areas, according to Ramlan
The Indonesian Military (TNI) had earlier expressed their readiness to provide security for commission officials in both Papua and Aceh, which have seen years of low-level separatist conflict.
Due to the mounting tension in Aceh, Nazaruddin said that local commission offices in the province had proposed a one-month extension of the voter registration process.
The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) began a nationwide census, and a voter registration drive on behalf of the KPU, on April 1. Both tasks are expected to be completed within one month.
The commission is scheduled to vet the political parties between July 9 and Sept. 9. It has also announced that the campaign period will be from March 11 to April 1, 2004, with polling day being on April 5, 2004.
Currently, 237 political parties have registered with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, but it is likely that only a few of them, including the six major political parties, will be eligible to contest the legislative election.
Among the parties likely to be in the final running are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP), National Awakening Party (PKB), National Mandate Party (PAN) and Crescent Star Party (PBB).
However, the KPU is as yet unable to set the dates for the two-stage direct presidential and vice presidential elections, pending the deliberation of the presidential elections bill by the House of Representatives.