Last three Panwaslu members elected

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta, Jakarta

One scholar, one women's activist and one cleric have been chosen to fill the last three seats in the nine-member Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu).

General Elections Commission (KPU) member Hamid Awaluddin announced on Friday that Muslim scholar Komaruddin Hidayat, noted Muslim women's activist Noordjannah Djohantini and Protestant Minister Saut Hamonangan Sirait had passed screening conducted by the commission last Thursday.

"They are the most qualified persons to fill the remaining three seats. As you know, we only got three people from the previous screening," Hamid said.

KPU, which is tasked with selecting Panwaslu members, handpicked nine people as candidates for Panwaslu member last week after the commission failed to find qualified candidates in the first round of screening.

More than 200 people applied for Panwaslu membership last month, from which KPU selected 22 to contest six seats on the nine-member committee, but only three were judged qualified, prompting KPU to choose more candidates. Three other seats have been filled by two police representatives and one Attorney General's Office representative.

Hamid said the last three elected members were all independent and had a good understanding of democracy, political parties and general elections.

He also said there was one candidate that the KPU deemed ideal, but the person could not work full-time as a Panwaslu member. He refused identify the person.

Panwaslu is an independent body that will monitor the 2004 legislative elections, including ballot counting.

It consists of six elected members and three appointed members -- two from the National Police and one from the Attorney General's Office.

KPU choose three people to be Panwaslu members from last month's screening. The three were Didik Supriyanto, Rozy Munir and Topo Santoso representing the press, public figures and institutes of higher learning respectively.

Hamid went on to say that Panwaslu members would convene on Tuesday to start their jobs.

"Temporarily, Panwaslu will hold their meetings at the KPU office," he said.

Indonesia will hold its first direct elections next year, starting with the legislative elections on April 5.

The two-phased presidential election will follow between June and August 2004.

Panwaslu members:

1. Brig. Gen. Aris Sampoerna Djati Police 2. Sr. Comr. Johny Tangkudung Police 3. Masyhudi Ridwan AGO 4. Rozy Munir Public Figure 5. Noordjannah Djohatini Public Figure 6. Saut Hamonangan Sirait Public Figure 7. Komaruddin Hidayat Academician 8. Topo Santoso Academic 9. Didik Supriyanto Journalist