KPUDs rebuked over candidacy documents
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."