KPU rapped for accommodating late applicants

KPU rapped for accommodating late applicants

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The General Elections Commission (KPU) and its regional offices
(KPUDs) are copping public criticism for accepting revised
candidature documents after the deadline and thereby undermining
the commission's credibility.

Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) executive
director Ray Rangkuti said on Tuesday that the poll watchdog
found political parties had violated the Monday 4 p.m. deadline
in many places, without punitive measures from elections
commissions.

KIPP volunteers noticed that the regional elections commission
in the North Sumatra regency of North Tapanuli allowed 12
political parties to submit revised documents up until 10:18
p.m., more than six hours after the deadline.

"Even in East Nusa Tenggara, the provincial KPUD is allowing
the National Mandate Party (PAN) to present documents of its
legislative candidates up until Jan. 26," Ray said.

He added that in the West Java regency of Karawang, the local
KPUD accepted revised documents from two rival executive boards
of a party, but such a case was unacceptable in the West Nusa
Tenggara regency of West Lombok.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the
National Mandate Party (PAN), the Social Democratic Labor Party
(PBSD), the Indonesian Unity Party (PSI), the United Democratic
Nationhood Party (PPDK) and the Democratic Party only managed to
hand their documents to the KPU up to 10 minutes after the
deadline.

"Such a practice should not occur," Ray told a press
conference.

Later in the day, KPU member Anas Urbaningrum, who chairs the
team verifying legislative candidates, said he would check KIPP's
reports, particularly the case in East Nusa Tenggara.

"Well, we did not specifically instruct KPUDs to close their
offices for the submission of the revised documents at 4 p.m. on
Monday," Anas said.

He disclosed that there were attempts by some parties to
submit names of additional male legislative aspirants to the KPU,
but said the commission would definitely not accept the extra
candidates as it violated the general election regulations.

He refused to identify the political parties, or to discuss
the commission's promise to take punitive measures against them.

The election regulations bans any party from registering extra
candidates after the deadline, except for women candidates in
accordance with the recommended 30 percent quota for women.

Anas dismissed reports that the number of legislative
candidates had declined due to revisions made by the 24 parties
to their list of candidates,

He said the figure had increased instead, as some parties had
added the names of women legislative aspirants.

The Democratic Party has added another eight women legislative
candidates, the Prosperous Justice Party 2, the Crescent Star
Party 14, the Concern for the Nation Functional Party 7, the
Reform Star Party 42 and the Prosperous Peace Party 58.

Ray urged the KPU to immediately give the public access to
information about legislative candidates to help them identify
and know them better.

"This will make it easier for people to choose their
legislative candidates," he said.

Parties have no obligation to publicly disclose their
legislative candidates, who will be announced by the KPU between
Jan. 28 and Jan. 29.

During the April 5 general election, voters will punch a party
symbol and the name of one candidate nominated by the party. The
ballot is still valid in the case of only the party symbol being
punched.