KPU's problems not just academic, political spats

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Academics and activists frequently criticize government policies and their implementation, often upsetting government officials in the process. These proponents of change say they are merely exercising their freedom of speech.

But what happens when the academics and activists become the officials?

This happened in the creation of the now-troubled General Elections Commission (KPU). The KPU was heralded by many as the ideal body to organize a general election, because its members were independent and respected scholars and activists. They were recruited after undergoing tight scrutiny from the House of Representatives (DPR).

The commission is headed by Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, a professor of politics, while Ramlan Surbakti, a political scientist, is the deputy.

Two of the 11 original commission members, Imam Prasodjo and Catholic priest Mudji Sutrisno, quit shortly after the House approved them last year -- a protest against the requirement to resign from their previous jobs.

The seven remaining members are Mulyana W. Kusumah, Chusnul Mar'iyah, Anas Urbaningrum, Valina Singka Subekti, Rusadi Kantaprawira, Hamid Awaluddin and Daan Dimara.

In the New Order regime, the electoral institution comprised government officials. In 1999, the commission consisted of government officials, political experts and political parties' representatives.

Therefore, it is understandable if public expectations for the current KPU to prepare free and fair elections are high.

To be fair, the commission has had a huge task in running this year's elections, which comprise three different events: the far- more complex, four-vote April 5 legislative election, the July 5 direct presidential election and a possible runoff on Sept. 20.

Registered voters number no less than 147 million people in an archipelago, made up of 17,000 islands. The commission is in charge of distributing 660 million ballot papers to nearly 600,000 polling stations.

But election preparations have gone badly and many people are disappointed about the increasing likelihood of voting delays in the legislative election.

This messy preparation might be the results of, among other things, the KPU's internal disharmony and disarray.

In a characteristic mistake last year, the commission issued a circular to regional KPUs to collect political party membership cards, so it could speed up the factual verification of voters.

A day later, it issued another circular revoking the earlier one, saying it contained a procedural error.

In a critical meeting to annul ballot box tender winner Survindo Indah Prestasi in December last year, several members of the commission were not informed of the meeting.

KPU official Chusnul Mar'iyah, who heads the logistics division, has also rescinded the authority of KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah to monitor the ballot boxes production.

The same decision occurred once again over a ballot paper printing tender.

Commission members have openly showed their distrust of one another especially in carrying out the tenders process. Their transition from outspoken government critics to officials in charge of a huge task -- and vast amounts of money -- has not been a smooth one. The two bosses, Nazaruddin and Ramlan, have also often issued contradictory statements.

Despite these shortcomings, the commission is still respected by many as an independent and authoritative body.