No reason to panic just yet, says KPU

No reason to panic just yet, says KPU

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Mataram/Ambon/Makassar

The General Elections Commission (KPU) admitted on Monday that
some delays had occurred in the delivery of election materials,
but it remained convinced that everything was under control.

KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin said after a plenary
meeting the printing of 320 million ballot papers for the
election of House of Representatives (DPR) and Regional
Representatives Council (DPD) members was 98-percent finished.

Printing companies responsible for the production of 340
million ballot papers for the election of provincial and
regental/municipal legislative members had completed 25 percent
of their jobs.

"Based on our evaluation, we have not yet seen any crisis in
our preparations to procure election materials," he said.

However, KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, said the commission
needed to take measures to ensure that the materials reached
polling stations before the March 31 deadline, or five days
before voting day.

Ballot paper printing was an example of the serious problems
facing the KPU, according to Mulyana, due to a one-month delay in
the printing of the papers.

"We have set up a team to monitor and to put pressure on all
printing firms to speed up the process," he said.

To make things worse, one of the companies PT Rorakarya, gave
up the job to print over 5 million ballot papers for Regional
Legislative Council (DPRD II) candidates in South Sulawesi, seven
days after it expressed its readiness to print the papers.

KPU member Hamid Awaluddin, who is chairman of KPU's legal
division, said the firm's decision had threatened election
preparations.

"KPU does not tolerate such actions any more, which are
considered more than just a violation of the contract," he said.

Rorakarya director Raizon Rais was observed visiting KPU on
Monday to report his company's failure.

KPU member Rusadi Kantaprawira, who chairs the ink tender
committee, said KPU had slashed the endurance period of indelible
ink for voter identification from between three days to one day.

He said that the change was made to help local ink suppliers
compete with other suppliers.

Difficulties have been encountered in West Nusa Tenggara. With
just 10 days left before the deadline, the province has not
received any of its required 2.6 million ballot papers.

The province has at least 37 remote islands, making it
difficult for KPU to deliver the papers on time.

Head of the logistics division of the West Nusa Tenggara
Elections Commission (KPUD) Ahmad Yani said on Monday the office
also required 284 more ballot boxes and 3,273 polling stations.

Yani said his office would produce the election materials
itself if KPU failed to deliver the materials by March 20,
referring to a KPU circular which allows this measure in a state
of emergency.

Separately, Maluku governor Karel Albert Ralahalu found during
his inspection to remote villages on Seram Island that KPUD
officials had never met with locals.

Karel was told by local residents that KPUD officials had also
failed to disseminate information on the elections.

Researches by the Voter Education Network (Japem) and
Indonesian Christian University predicted that up to 40 percent
of votes would be invalid due to uninformed voters.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi governor Amin Syams gathered on
Monday all regents and mayors, informing them that they should
anticipate a delay in the delivery of election materials.

Amin said the province fell short of 23,931 ballot boxes and
13,448 polling stations and had not received most of its ballot
papers. He ordered local governments to produce ballot boxes and
polling stations as KPU would face difficulties in producing and
distributing the materials on time.