KPU slammed for overseas trips
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Six of nine members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) are traveling to the United States, Canada and Europe to disseminate information to Indonesian voters living overseas, a move that has drawn criticism from poll watchdog activists.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah confirmed the overseas visits by several of the commission's members, aimed at distributing information on the 2004 elections.
The trips are also to monitor the electoral preparations abroad and establish overseas election committees, he added.
He said that Anas Urbaningrum and Hamid Awaluddin had left for Canada and San Francisco, while Daan Dimara, Rusadi Kantaprawira and Ramlan Surbakti were visiting England, Germany and the Netherlands, and Chusnul Mari'yah was visiting Morocco.
"The trips are for one week," Mulyana said on Thursday.
There are more than 143 million eligible voters at home, while only about two million Indonesian are expected to register as overseas voters.
However, overseas voters are mostly in the Middle East and Malaysia, which employ many Indonesian workers.
It was not clear why it was so important for the KPU members to visit the U.S., Canada and Europe, particular since those countries are home to fewer Indonesian voters.
Overseas voters will only account for votes for five seats at the House of Representatives.
The general election is scheduled for April 5, 2004, and the presidential election on July 5 and its run-off on Sept. 20.
Coordinator of the Independent Committee for Election Monitoring (KIPP) Ray Rangkuti criticized the KPU's overseas trips on Friday.
KPU members should focus on their essential but unresolved tasks at home instead of traveling abroad, he argued. "I do not see the significance of KPU's overseas visits as voters abroad only account for five seats in the House."
"The Jakarta chapter of the KPU could carry out such a promotional program abroad because overseas votes will go to the capital," Rangkuti said.
He said KPU members needed to resolve their crucial and uncompleted tasks at home, including the screening of political parties, seat allocations, electoral district mapping.
Another contentious issue was the KPU's plan to establish a West Irian Jaya chapter.
Regarding the electoral district mapping, the KPU has a Monday deadline to finish the job.
On the screening issue, a number of political parties have demanded that the commission hold a new round of administrative verification after they were disqualified from contesting the 2004 elections.
"If most of KPU members are going abroad, how will the commission decide on electoral district mapping and other matters?" Rangkuti asked.
"I am extremely disappointed with the work of KPU members, who are noted intellectuals. Before they assumed their jobs, they often criticized government officials for traveling abroad without a clear agenda. But now they are doing the same thing," he said.
He urged the KPU to publicly explain the results of its members' overseas trips soon after their arrival home.
However, their explanations would not change the public's opinion that the KPU members lacked a sense of priority, Rangkuti said.