KPU reschedules ballot paper printing deadline
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Twenty-nine days ahead of the legislative election, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has set March 14 as the deadline for 17 consortia to complete the ballot paper printing, a three-day delay from its original schedule.
Valina Sinka Subekti, a KPU member in charge of election logistical requirements announced in a meeting with representatives of 17 consortia contracted to print more than 147 million ballot papers that the KPU has decided to allow a delay of three days from the original schedule of March 11.
She said the KPU would not take any risks and, therefore, would extend the deadline until March 14 to avoid any disruption in the distribution of the ballot papers and other election logistics, such as ballot boxes and booths, in particular to remote regions.
Meanwhile, KPU Secretary-General Susongko Suhardjo hinted that it was doubtful that the consortia could meet the deadline because not all members were present in the meeting and the KPU had not been well informed on the technical problems behind the delay.
"The meeting was adjourned until tomorrow (Sunday) to obtain an agreement from all consortia," said Susongko after the meeting.
The 17 consortia had earlier proposed a delay until March 20 due to technical problems, raising speculation that this could cause a delay in the elections in remote areas or that the elections would be rescheduled until all necessary election logistics were distributed to all districts across the country.
Besides asking for the delay, the consortia have also proposed an increase to Rp 400 (4 cents) per piece from the previously agreed Rp 275 for the ballot papers.
Valina did not clarify whether the KPU had agreed to the proposed printing cost or whether the matter would be discussed in Sunday's meeting.
Following the meeting, a consortium member PT Temprina Media Grafika expressed his commitment to meet the new deadline, saying that his company had no problem with the new schedule.
"We are ready to meet the new deadline," Temprina spokesman Mufti Mubarok said.
Temprina consists of several companies belonging to giant media companies, including Gramedia Group and Tempo Group.
KPU has scheduled the ballot papers printing completion for March 11 and the distribution of election logistics by March 30.
Many KPU offices in Maluku and Papua have criticized KPU's slow progress considering that the two provinces relied on ships and aircraft which are not available every day to distribute election materials.
In anticipation of technical problems ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for April 5, the KPU has prepared a contingency plan by asking the Indonesian Military (TNI) to help distribute election materials.
The KPU has contracted four companies: state-run PT Pos Indonesia, PT Sentra Indologis Utama, PT Aneka Jasa Putratama and PT Pandu Siwi Sentosa, to distribute the logistics.