No pressure from PDI-P: KPU

No pressure from PDI-P: KPU

JAKARTA: The General Elections Commission (KPU) denied on
Monday allegations that the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) had pressured it to intervene in a row that
involved the ruling party's East Kalimantan chapter.

"There was no such pressure... I will put my reputation on the
line if we conceded to pressure," KPU deputy chairman Ramlan
Surbakti said.

He was referring to a meeting between the KPU, the East
Kalimantan Provincial Elections Commission (KPUD) and local party
leaders over the weekend, at which the KPUD decided to revoke its
ban against the party's contesting the provincial legislative
election.

The East Kalimantan KPUD had earlier dropped the PDI-P from
the legislative election, as the party failed to submit its
revised list of candidates by the Jan. 19 deadline, claiming
internal conflicts.

Ramlan said the KPU annulled the East Kalimantan KPUD's
decision and accepted the PDI-P's original candidacy list, which
was valid because it was signed by both the head and secretary-
general of the party's East Kalimantan chapter.

The secretary-general had earlier said he had never endorsed
the list, which led to intra-party bickering. -- JP