KPU to take no action over ballot box brouhaha

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Tuesday it would not take action against those parties involved in irregularities in the tender to produce 2.1 million ballot boxes for the 2004 elections.

KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin said tender winner PT Survindo Indah Prestasi failed to fulfill the Rp 311 billion (US$36.6 million) contract because it lost its financing.

"There will be no legal punishment for either the ballot box tender committee or the tender winner. The tender was conducted fairly and transparently," Nazaruddin said.

On Dec. 23, the KPU appointed PT Tjakrindo Mas to produce 40 percent of the ballot boxes, with the remaining 60 percent to be manufactured by Survindo. PT Tjakrindo participated in the tender but did not meet the minimum requirements for the bid.

Nazaruddin said the decision to appoint PT Tjakrindo to manufacture a percentage of the ballot boxes was taken by a small team.

As late as Dec. 31, the KPU said Survindo managed only to produce 30,000 ballot boxes, while it was expected to complete 600,000 boxes.

Survindo, which won the contract in early November, claimed to have a production capacity of 40,000 ballot boxes a day.

The appointment of Tjakrindo as an additional ballot box provider sparked controversy because the company did not come close to meeting the minimum requirements of the tender.

The elections commission will evaluate both Survindo and Tjakrindo in the middle of January to determine whether they will be able to fill the contract.

A source said that Tjakrindo might be asked to produce another 30 percent of the 2.1 million ballot boxes.

The ballot boxes must be distributed to all electoral districts in February.

Nazaruddin also expressed concern over the increasing price of the aluminum to make the ballot boxes. The aluminum is being supplied by the Maspion Group, a company that withdrew from the tender.

KPU deputy secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo said he had been informed by Tjakrindo that the price of the aluminum for the boxes had increased by Rp 2,000 per kilogram.

Nazaruddin said Maspion could foil the elections if it refused to bring lower the price.

"The price of aluminum only increases at home, but not overseas. I urge Maspion to stop this practice for the sake of the success of the elections," he said.

Sussongko said under the new contract, Survindo and Tjakrindo would be paid after completing 25 percent of their work.

Indonesia will hold legislative elections on April 5, to be followed by a two-round presidential election on July 5 and Sept. 20.