KPU under fire for dealine shift

KPU under fire for dealine shift

JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) came
under attack on Tuesday for moving back the deadline for
political parties to arrange vote-sharing deals (stembus akoord).

The Election Supervisory Committee said that by changing the
deadline from May 31 to June 4 the KPU fell short of its
commitment to make the upcoming elections just and fair.

The commission moved the deadline to June 4, the last day of
election campaigning, on the grounds that political parties had
not finished their talks on the sharing of votes.

The 1999 electoral law stipulates that any vote-sharing
arrangements among political parties should be made public one
week ahead of the election day.

"KPU should have consistently abided by the law," the election
commission secretary, Satya Arinanto, said.

Eight Muslim parties have closed a deal to apportion extra
votes among themselves. They are the Justice Party (PK), the
Crescent Star Party (PBB), the United Development Party (PPP),
the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU), the Nahdlatul Ummat
Party (PNU), the Islamic Community Party (PUI), the Indonesian
Masyumi Islamic Political Party (PPIM) and the Indonesian
Syarikat Islam Party-1905 (PSII-1905).

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party
(PKB) are also considering a similar agreement.

Tamat Anshori of the East Java PBB chapter denied reports on
Tuesday that the eight Islamic parties capped the deal in a bid
to block PDI Perjuangan chief Megawati Soekarnoputri's push for
presidency.

Anshori said the accord was meant to boost the party
alliance's election performance. (pan)