Minister criticized for election delay

JAKARTA: The Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) has criticized the Minister for Home Affairs Moh. Ma'ruf for suggesting that regional leader elections be delayed.

Delaying these elections is in violation of the law and may upset local people, KIPP said on Wednesday in a statement.

KIPP director Ray Rangkuti was referring to a statement by the home minister who said that regions could delay local elections if the necessary infrastructure was not in place.

Ray said that people were expecting clean, accountable, responsible and transparent local administration, and this could only be achieved with fair elections.

Under the regional administration law, the first batch of local leader elections in more than 200 regions will take place in June this year. - JP