KPU, police sign security agreement

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.