Many parties may not pass factual verification

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Many political parties might not be able to pass the field verifications by the General Elections Commission (KPU), according one member.

Mulyana W. Kusumah, a KPU member chairing the commission's party verification team, said in Surakarta, Central Java on Friday that many political parties had not yet submitted the required documents to regental/municipality elections commission (KPUDs).

"Surakarta can become a good indicator. If many parties have not yet submitted their documents in this city, what about other cities?" Mulyana was quoted by Antara as saying.

Only 27 of 46 parties had submitted their required documents with the Surakarta KPUD, 20 in Klaten, Central Java, and over 30 in Yogyakarta, Mulyana said.

The parties have until Nov. 20 to submit those documents.

KPU members have started visiting regencies/municipalities in 12 provinces to witness the factual verification on political parties and regional representative candidates.

The field verification will end on Nov. 20 and regental/municipalities and provincial KPUDs must report the results to KPU by Nov. 30.

KPU will hold plenary meetings between Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 before announcing the political parties that are eligible to contest next year's election on Dec. 2.

Field verifications for regional representative candidates will end on Nov. 23. KPU will announce regional representative candidates that pass a factual screening on Dec. 9.

Mulyana said that eight regional representative hopefuls had passed the factual screening process in Central Java and Yogyakarta respectively.

"This is a good sign in comparison with those in Jakarta, West Java, and Banten, who must improve their documents," he said.

Mulyana said earlier that all 73 regional representative candidates in Jakarta must improve their documents during the factual screening.

Most of them submitted fake identity cards of their supporters and/or copies of ID cards without the consent of the owners.