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Survindo's executive director Sihol Manullang had been replaced by Lukma Neska, he said.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