Local elections set for June 10, 2000: PPL

JAKARTA (JP): The Local Election Committee (PPL) announced on Wednesday that elections in 32 regencies and mayoralties across the country's three new provinces would be held simultaneously on June 10 next year.

Agus Miftah, who chairs the committee, told a media conference that except for the Golkar Party, all political parties which contested last June's general election would be allowed to vie for seats at the regency and provincial legislatures, the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

According to Election Law No. 4/1999, each second-level administration should be represented in the DPR and each province deserves five representatives in the MPR.

"The number of seats will depend on talks between the new government and the DPR," Agus said.

The law says 462 of 500 House seats are up for grabs in the general election, which is held every five years. The remaining 38 seats are allotted to the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police, whose members do not vote.

But the MPR agreed in its General Session last month to end the military presence in the DPR starting from 2004, meaning the 38 seats provided for TNI and the National Police will go to political parties in the next elections in 2003.

A PPL member, Djuhad Mahdja of the United Development Party (PPP) said that the local elections would only elect legislators to sit in the provincial and regional legislatures.

"We have to discuss it further with the government and the DPR about the possibility of adding the House seats as a result of the upcoming local elections," he said.

All elected legislators will be sworn in from July 12 to 29 next year.

The government created three new provinces -- North Maluku, Central Irian Jaya and East Irian Jaya -- and 31 new regencies and mayoralties through Laws No. 45 to No. 55, enacted in the final month of B.J. Habibie's administration in October. The new regencies include Bireun in the restive province of Aceh.

Elections will also be held in two other Aceh regencies of Pidie and North Aceh, whose people failed to go to the polls on June 7 due to security concerns.

When asked about security arrangement in provinces during the local elections, Djuhad said that the PPL would ask for help from TNI and the National Police.

"We have also summoned the governors of the new provinces to make sure about security conditions in their respective territories," he added.

Djuhad said North Maluku governor Suratmin had guaranteed his province was ready for the elections. Aceh governor Syamsuddin Mahmud is expected to meet the committee next Thursday.

Agus said registration for political parties which wished to contest the local elections would start on Jan. 1, 2000.

He said the campaign methods applied during the June elections would be adopted in next year's polls, but added that the committee was uncertain about the length of the campaign period.

"We have set the timetable for the campaign period but we will see how the situation develops," Agus said.

The upcoming local elections will cost around Rp 400 billion (US$57 million). The General Elections Committee (KPU) has standby funds from the state budget and the United Nations Development Program totaling Rp 380 billion.

"We need to ask for additional funds from the state budget to cover the rest of the expenses," Agus said.

On the fate of Golkar, Djuhad said that it would depend on the result of a plenary meeting to be held by the General Elections Commission next Tuesday. A committee led by Sri Bintang Pamungkas is conducting an investigation into alleged fraud committed by Golkar before and during the June elections.

"We will submit the results of our investigation to the Supreme Court," Djuhad said. If found guilty, Golkar will face disqualification. (04)