KPU slammed for overseas trips

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.