KPU to start screening local commission members soon
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced on Friday that it was now ready to establish local election commissions, meaning that significant progress has been made as the general election draws closer.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the commission would soon issue directives for provincial governments to set up independent teams to select 10 candidates for each provincial election commission.
"We will send letters next week to all governors urging them to start establishing independent councils to elect candidates for the provincial KPUs," he said.
"The ten candidates from 30 provinces, making a total of 300 candidates, will have to go through selection tests conducted by us (the KPU).
"During the tests, we will interview every single candidate personally," said Mulyana.
Anas Urbaningrum, another KPU member, explained that commission members would go to every province to conduct the selection tests.
"For the sake of financial efficiency, we will visit every province, while the whole interview process will take about 10 to 12 days," he said.
The KPU will then select some 150 members, or five members for each provincial KPU.
The provincial KPUs will later elect 5 persons for election commissions at the regental and municipal levels.
The provincial election commissions should be up and running by the end of April, while the regental and municipal KPUs should be operative by the end of May.
The provincial, regental and municipal election commissions are charged with organizing and announcing the results of the upcoming general election in 2004 at the provincial, regency and municipal levels.
There are 30 provinces and 410 regencies/municipalities nationwide.
Meanwhile, KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin told the Post on Friday that the Rp 649 billion (US$72.9 million) allocated for KPU housing, cars and overseas travel as stated by the Ministry of Finance was not a waste of money.
"These funds were allocated to procure over 400 service vehicles for the KPU at the provincial, regental and municipal levels," he said.
He added that the commission also planned to establish KPU offices at these levels.
The Ministry of Finance said on Thursday that the KPU had been allocated Rp 649 billion to pay for members' housing, cars and foreign travel.
"These plans will benefit the work of the KPU in the long run," Nazaruddin said.
The KPU had previously announced that it had increased the election budget from Rp 3 trillion to Rp 4 trillion to cover the costs of holding a legislative election and two rounds of presidential elections.