Last three Panwaslu members elected

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