KPUDs rebuked over candidacy documents
Yuli Tri Suwarni and Ni Luh Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung/Mataram
A number of regional branches of political parties blamed the Regional General Elections Commission (KPUD) on Tuesday for the failure of legislative candidates to submit complete documents for their candidacy.
The party branches said the failure was not theirs nor their candidates', but the regional commissions', which had imposed requirements in addition to those set out by the General Elections Commission (KPU) without notifying most candidates.
Yudi Widiana, secretary to the board of the West Java chapter of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said the extra requirements included copies of birth certificates.
"Most of our candidates have yet to attach their birth certificates as requested by the West Java KPUD," he said. As a result, the KPUD returned the documents, and the candidates had to complete them by Jan. 19 at the latest, he said.
Ali Hasan, deputy chairman of the Golkar Party's West Java chapter, and its 108 candidates shared a similar experience, and regretted that the KPUD did not disseminate information to parties and their candidates on the additional requirements before the deadline.
Setia Permana, chairman of the West Java KPUD, said that, due to the mounting protest, he had finally agreed to ease the requirement for birth certificates.
In Mataram, political party chapters lashed out at the West Nusa Tenggara KPUD, which also imposed additional requirements on legislative candidates.
Johan, a PKS member, for example, condemned the KPUD for obliging candidates to submit an official letter declaring their place of residence, signed by subdistrict and district heads.
"This is too much. This is one of the problems that has prevented our candidates from completing and filing their candidacy documents with the KPUD on time," he said.
Separately, in the West Sumatra capital of Padang, political parties argued that the West Sumatra KPUD had yet to inform candidates that they had to include proof of their registration status as voters.
"Due to the negligence of the West Sumatra KPUD, most of our candidates submitted incomplete documents," said Zulkenedi Said, head of the Golkar Party's West Sumatra chapter.
Mufti, chairman of the West Sumatra KPUD, refuted the accusation that the commission had been negligent.
"Several days before the candidacy papers were due, we called the respective chairmen of each political party to ask that they urge their candidates to complete the documents, including proof of their voter registration," he said.
He said the voter registration was important for the candidates: "If they are elected, but are then found to not have registered as a voter, they can be sued by the public."