New Order officials eligible for DPD
New Order officials eligible for DPD
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former government officials of the Soeharto administration and
graft suspects were among the 757 candidates from 26 provinces
declared fit to run on Tuesday by the General Elections
Commission (KPU) for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD).
Former environment minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja and former
ambassador to Singapore Lt. Gen. (ret) HBL Mantiri, who had
served during the New Order regime of president Soeharto,
qualified as Jakarta candidates, as did businesswomen Kemala
Motik and Mooryati Sudibyo and Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDIP) politician Aberson Marle Silaloho.
People's Consultative Assembly deputy speaker Ginandjar
Kartasasmita, who served as a Cabinet minister under Soeharto,
and former Siliwangi West Java Military commander Maj. Gen. (ret)
Tayo Tarmadi, were among the 42 candidates from West Java.
Ginandjar has been named a suspect for his alleged involvement
in a graft case involving state oil and gas company Pertamina
when he was mining and energy minister.
G.K.R. Hemas, the wife of the Yogyakarta governor, led the
list of 30 candidates who passed the first screening by the
Regional General Elections Commission (KPUD) of Yogyakarta.
In South Sulawesi, 36 aspirants qualified, but former state
minister of state enterprises Tanri Abeng, former State Logistics
Agency head Beddu Amang and former Golkar legislator Arnold A.
Baramuli must wait to hear a decision on their residential
status.
Tanri has been living outside South Sulawesi for many years,
whereas the law requires DPD candidates to have been living in
their representative province for three consecutive years or for
10 years since the age of 17.
Regarding the eligibility of former New Order officials, KPU
deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said the Election Law did not
exclude them from candidacy.
"We are just implementing the law, and it does not
discriminate against government officials during the New Order,"
he said.
Observers had earlier warned of the return of the New Order in
the 2004 elections through political parties linked to the past
regime.
DPD candidates from the remaining six provinces will be
announced by Dec. 18.
The Election Law accords four representatives per province.
The DPD and the House of Representatives are to form the
People's Consultative Assembly, the highest law-making body in
the country.
The DPD election is closed to party executives, except for
those who have left the posts at least three months before they
registered for the elections.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, who is in charge of the DPD
candidacy verification process, said all DPD aspirants would be
announced on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 according to KPU instruction.
"We will also ask relevant KPUDs to recheck those candidates
who still have problems with their requisite documents."
Another KPU member, Anas Urbaningrum, said verification of the
remaining DPD aspirants would provide the public more time to
select the best candidates.
"For example, three Yogyakarta aspirants claimed ignorance of
their inclusion in the board of executives of certain parties. So
we need to check the truth of their claims," he said.