New team to draw up poll code of conduct

JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) has set up a seven-member team, called the Team of Seven, to make a draft electoral code of conduct and stipulate internal rulings.

Commission chairman Rudini said it selected seven names from the 53-member commission to form the small team on the issues.

"This is led by Djuhad Mahja of the United Development Party (PPP)," he said after presiding over the commission's plenary session on Monday.

Members are Agus Miftach of the Indonesian People's Party (Pari), Rasidi of the Solidarity for Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI), Yakob Tobing, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Hasballah of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Mustafa Kamal of the Justice Party and Bambang Sulistomo of Indonesian Democratic Alliance Party (PADI).

He said the team would take into consideration drafts proposed separately by the United Development Party and political expert Andi A. Mallarangeng, who is also a member of the commission, in drawing up the code of conduct.

"The team will present the two drafts before the commission meeting tomorrow," Rudini added.

Rudini said the commission also decided to ask governors, regents and majors to postpone establishing provincial and regional election committees until the National Elections Committee (PPI) is set up.

KPU is assigned to prepare the elections and establish the PPI, which answers to the commission.

"All provincial and regional election committees that have been set up must be disbanded because it is against the general election law," he said.

The law states the PPI must be established before the lower level committees. Rudini added several provinces establishedtheir election committees without any consultation with the election commission.

Given the limited time before the June polls, Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid, who also chaired the disbanded general election institute, asked governors last month to help the KPU establish local election committees.

The 1999 law on general elections states the chairman, deputies, secretary and members of the National Election Committee are chosen from representatives of the government and political parties on the commission.

During Monday's plenary session, Rudini also took the oath of Bambang Sulistomo of the Indonesian Democratic Alliance Party (PADI) and Hendrik Kwok of People's Democratic Party (PRD) as commission members.

Hendrik, Bambang and Sri Bintang Pamungkas, chairman of the Indonesian Uni-democracy Party (PUDI), refused to be sworn in by President B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace last Friday.

Arso, a representative of Bintang at the plenary session, was asked to leave the meeting because the commission members could not be delegated.

In Purwokerto, Central Java, Andi A. Mallarangeng said the first part of 87 regulations on the polls would be issued on voter registration, money politics and the political campaign scheduled from May 18 through June 4.

He said the regulations could not be issued simultaneously because of lack of personnel on commission.

Meanwhile, Ichlasul Amal, rector of Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, charged the commission's plan to bar mass mobilizations during campaigning was unfavorable to new parties. (44/45/rms)