KPUD protests minister's decree

KPUD protests minister's decree

PADANG, West Sumatra: The provincial office of the General
Elections Commission (KPUD) has protested against a circular
issued by State Minister for Administrative Reform Taufik
Effendi, which bans government employees from serving on local
election and polling committees during the upcoming local
elections.

The circular was issued on March 31.

But Marzul Veri, a member of the West Sumatra KPUD, said over
the weekend that the circular must be revised or revoked as
the KPUD had already spent some Rp 44 million (US$4,731) on
recruiting and training some 121,000 people to work as members of
election and polling committees, some 70 percent of whom were
government employees.

He said that since the issuance of the circular, many
government employees had withdrawn from the committees --
something that could threaten the viability of the local
elections.

"If all of them quit the committees, we'll be in trouble," he
said.

Various provinces, regencies, and municipalities in the
country are scheduled to elect their respective local leaders in
June in what will be the country's first direct local elections.
-- detik.com