Lawmakers call for 'perpu' on general elections
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Amid concerns over the protracted revision of the General Elections Law, the House of Representatives has proposed that the President issue a regulation in lieu of law (perpu) to enable it to select new members of the General Elections Commission (KPU).
"Given the quite lengthy revision process of the law, we're suggesting that a perpu be issued," said Saifullah Ma'shum of House Commission II on domestic administration.
Law No. 12/2003 on general elections requires the president to submit a list of names to be screened by the House as KPU members, three months prior to their election.
With the current membership expiring by the end of March 2006, the President must submit the names by the end of this month at the latest.
"The perpu is to overlook the three month clause, thus we will have a longer time to deliberate the amendments. We don't want to rush, but we're trying to speed it up," said Saifullah, a lawmaker from the National Awakening Party (PKB).
The revisions themselves are expected to be completed in January.
The House had decided to revise the General Election Law in response to massive corruption cases within the KPU involving its members and staff. Several of them have been jailed while the trials of others are still underway.
They were convicted of or charged with receiving kickbacks from partner firms that supplied election materials to the KPU and bribing state auditors to influence audit results on the poll commission's financial report.
Major points in the revisions are expected to include banning KPU members from involvement in tenders and procurement of election materials, a move aimed at preventing corruption in the national elections body.
"The number of KPU members will likely be reduced to only seven at maximum from the current 11, and they will work only on drawing general policies. The qualifications are still the same ... non-partisan and preferably academics," said Saifullah.
Other issues being discussed in the revision are the selection of staff members for the KPU secretariat, the provision of witnesses at poll stations and the vote counting mechanism.
"Ensuring that the number of witnesses at poll stations for each contesting party should be equal and be paid by the state is being discussed.
"A much simpler vote count, aimed at preventing vote rigging, is also being considered by cutting the number of levels that can recount the votes," said Saifullah.
The revisions would also include the possibility of maintaining a certain number of the current KPU members for the next membership to ensure continuity.
"For example, the tenure of two members from the current membership may be extended for one or two years to assist the new ones," he said.