KPU to take no action over ballot box brouhaha
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.