Legislators at odds over KPU independence

Legislators at odds over KPU independence

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite intentions to give greater independence to the General
Election Commission (KPU), legislators remain divided on whether
the commission should be granted full authority to manage its own
affairs or partial.

Major factions have urged the government to stay out of the
commission completely, however they were unable to specify what
policies should be taken for it.

"Members of KPU should focus on the preparations for the
election. The administration should be handled by state
officials," said Golkar legislator Andi Mattalata here on Friday.

Andi added that the secretariat of the House of
Representatives (DPR) was a good example of an independent state
institution despite being part of the government.

Separately, legislator Susono Yusuf of the National Awakening
Party (PKB) suggested that the secretariat of KPU be managed by
the commission itself.

He said he feared the role of state officials in the
commission could be further manipulated by ruling parties.

Article 67, Paragraph 1 of the government-sponsored election
bill stipulates that to deal with its daily tasks, the KPU is to
be assisted by a general secretariat which is a government
institution.

Paragraph 4 of the article says that the secretary general and
deputy secretary general posts are held by civil servants who are
appointed and dismissed by the President upon recommendation of
the minister of home affairs.

Most of the factions have urged further discussion to
specially talk about this crucial issue.

Legislator Rusman Lumban Toruan of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) suggested that the
secretariat-general of the KPU should be part of the commission
and not come under the supervision of the home ministry.

Susono added that if the secretariat was to be controlled by
the state apparatus, it would weaken the commission.

He emphasized that the draft law outlined by the government
stipulated that the general election would be administered by an
independent, national-based, and permanent commission.

"We must be consistent in forming an independent KPU. The
secretary general of KPU must be independent and take no orders
from any government office," Susono added.

Andi Mattalata, however, insisted that a government official
must be assigned to manage the financial affairs for the
commission. "I doubt the 11 members of KPU can manage the money,"
he remarked.

Responding to possibility of manipulation powerful political
parties, Andi suggested that the appointment of the secretary
general was subject to approval of all KPU members.

The issue of the government's intervention in KPU has sparked
criticism, including with the Coalition for Political Laws.

In its proposal, the coalition suggested that the secretariat
general be handled by members of the KPU directly.