KPU rejects extension for ballot box distribution

KPU rejects extension for ballot box distribution

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has rejected a request
from ballot box tender winner PT Survindo Indah Prestasi to
extend the distribution deadline for the boxes from Feb. 26 to
March 25.

KPU deputy secretary general Sussongko Suhardjo said on
Wednesday that KPU's rejection was reasonable because March 25
would be too close to the legislative election scheduled on April
5.

"We have replied to Survindo that we can not extend the
deadline...," he told reporters at his office on Wednesday.

The troubled firm lost 40 percent of the lucrative ballot box
contract in December after production problems.

Sussongko said the extension request from Survindo came on
Jan. 12, the date the firm was acquired by new owners PT Amindo.
The new management planned to move ballot box production from the
existing 11 factories used by Survindo to nine new factories.

Survindo's executive director Sihol Manullang had been
replaced by Lukma Neska, he said.

"We have no information yet whether or not the nine new
factories have started their production as we have no access yet
to check them," Sussongko told reporters.

Of Tuesday, Survindo had produced 185,000 boxes, he said. The
figures differed from claims made by the former executive
director of Survindo, Sihol, who said on Sunday the company had
produced about 230,000 boxes.

Sihol confirmed that his firm was completely bought out by
Amindo on Dec. 30, but would not be drawn on the price paid for
the company.

He objected to any plan to move the ballot box production.
The existing 11 factories were still producing ballot boxes and
were contracted to continue the production.

"Under the contract, the existing 11 factories are obliged to
produce the ballot boxes. This work can not just be annulled like
that and move it to nine new factories. We will hold a protest
with the KPU if that happens," he said.

Survindo's new boss, Lukma, said that the acquisition was made
by Amindo to help speed up the production of the ballot boxes.

The company has previous experience in logging and heavy
equipment.

He confirmed he had sent a letter to KPU requesting the
commission to extend the deadline of ballot box production.

KPU secretly decided on Dec. 23 to hand over 40 percent of the
production of 2,194,155 ballot boxes to PT Tjakrindo Mas, ranked
second in the tender, after Survindo faltered in its performance.

Sussongko said that there was no plan to investigate
irregularities in the ballot box tender.

"Let the State Audit Agency do its job," he said, adding that
BPK was now auditing KPU, including the matter of the ballot box
tender.

A BPK official who leads the audit team into the KPU, Haedar
Rahman, earlier said BPK had not yet audited the ballot box
tender as no payments for the deal had yet been made.

Indonesia will hold legislative elections on April 5 and a
presidential election on July 5.