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.