KPU reschedules ballot paper printing deadline

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.