KPU to select, train 1,750 local members
KPU to select, train 1,750 local members
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) is now bracing itself for
a dramatically increased workload after the House of
Representatives endorsed the elections bill.
The commission will now have to prioritize the appointment of
members to its provincial, regency and municipality branch
commissions.
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Thursday that the
commission would appoint 1,750 members in 30 provinces and 410
regencies/municipalities, a process that would have to be
completed by May.
He said the KPU would establish an independent team that would
help governors, mayors and regents recruit branch commission
members. There would be four members in each province and five in
every regency or municipality.
An independent team was necessary to ensure that the regional
commission members who were appointed were independent and so as
to prevent local government intervention in the commission
branches within their jurisdictions.
"The KPU will reject candidates for the local elections
commissions proposed by governors, regents, mayors or the
independent team if we find irregularities in the selection
process," Ramlan said.
The commission is also preparing itself for the mammoth task
of voter registration, which is set to commence on April 1 and
continue until the end of March 2004. The registration drive,
which will cost the KPU Rp 400 billion (US$43 million), will be
carried out in collaboration with the Central Statistics Agency
(BPS).
Regarding freedom to campaign on the part of public servants,
ranging from the president down to state enterprise executives,
Ramlan said that certain facilities connected with state protocol
for the president, vice president and cabinet ministers would be
maintained.
"We cannot ignore the fact that security measures are part of
state protocol in respect of these public servants. We may ban
them from using state facilities such as cars and other vehicles,
and funds, but we cannot leave them alone without security
guards," Ramlan said.
The KPU would not demand that state officials who wanted to
campaign for their parties take leave of absence from their
posts.
"Let the people conclude whether the officials are neglecting
their state duties while campaigning for their parties," he said.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who chairs the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle, Vice President Hamzah Haz, the
chairman of the United Development Party, and many Cabinet
ministers are likely to get involved in campaigning for their
parties. The commission feared that the administration of state
would be seriously disrupted if all these state officials took
leaves of absence simultaneously.