Most KPUDs fail to meet party screening deadline

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Most Provincial General Elections Commissions (KPUDs) failed to meet Thursday's deadline to submit field verification reports to the General Election Commission (KPU), prompting the commission to announce in stages parties eligible for next year's elections.

KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said only four out of 30 provincial KPUDs had submitted the results of field verifications of political parties by Thursday, the last day of submission under KPU's timetable.

"We expect the rest will come in the next few days, therefore we may gradually announce the parties eligible to contest next year's elections, starting on Dec. 2," Ramlan said.

Provincial KPUDs who have already submitted their reports are Bali, Lampung, South Sulawesi and East Kalimantan.

According to Ramlan, Jakarta and North Sumatra KPUDs would submit their factual screening results on Friday.

Fellow KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said some KPUDs could not submit verification results on Nov. 27 due to transportation problems after the long weekend to celebrate Idul Fitri, which fell on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26.

Provincial, regental and municipal KPUDs were supposed to finish their factual screenings on Nov. 20 and submit the results to KPU by Nov. 27 at the latest. The commission had planned to announce parties eligible for the 2004 elections on Dec. 2, 2003.

A total of 46 parties are waiting for the final decision from KPU on whether or not they are eligible to contest next year's elections, when the country is scheduled to hold the first direct presidential election.

The factual screening includes a field check of the presence of party branch offices and board of executives in provinces and regencies or municipalities, and on the authenticity of 10 percent of the party's membership cards in regencies or municipalities.

A political party must pass KPUD screenings in two-thirds of the total regencies or municipalities of 21 provinces, to be eligible to contest next year's elections.

Ramlan said, for example, nine parties had failed to pass the factual verification in Bali, but they could still contest the 2004 elections in Bali, as well as in other provinces, if they could pass the screening in the other 21 provinces.

Among the nine parties that failed to pass KPUD screenings in Bali are the Great Marhaen National Party (PNMJ), the Unity Democrat Party (PDB), the Gotong Royong Party (PGR), the Welfare Mandate Party (PAS), the Indonesian Christian National Party (Krisna), and the Love Indonesian Nation Democrat Party (PDKBI).

Ramlan also said that KPU would issue instructions on Monday on electoral district mapping and seat allocation, as well as legislator nomination.

He said that House of Representatives seats would remain at 550, with Maluku's seats increasing to four from three and West Nusa Tenggara decreasing to 10 from eleven.