Panwaslu-KPU row over poll results takes new turn

Panwaslu-KPU row over poll results takes new turn

JAKARTA (JP): Controversy over the official Election
Supervisory Committee's authority to validate results of the poll
in the absence of approval by the General Elections Commission
(KPU) continued on Wednesday.

Commission chairman Rudini regretted a claim made by the
committee's deputy chairman, Todung Mulya Lubis, that KPU members
would not approve poll results and that the commission was to
"take over" the committee's role in validating the results.

"The statement of the committee's deputy chairman has
obviously damaged KPU's image," Rudini said, referring to the
supervisory committee.

"At least it would lead to a public opinion that KPU is
obstructing the post-election process," he said after chairing a
KPU plenary meeting on Wednesday.

He dismissed reports that the commission members, especially
from minority parties, had intentions of disrupting subsequent
stages of the elections.

"I know them (representatives of minority parties) well. They
have the commitment to make the June 7 election a success," he
said.

Rudini was commenting on Lubis' statement on Tuesday, which
said that the supervisory committee would be ready to conduct an
investigation if any of the KPU members declined to approve the
final poll results.

KPU members, many from minority parties, have demanded a
review over a rule saying the supervisory committee is authorized
to validate poll results, while the election law says the
authority lies with KPU.

Several KPU members expressed reservations of signing the
results until all violations were settled. The supervisory
committee said all reports of violations were sent to the Supreme
Court for further action.

The rule at the center of debate is Government Decree No.
33/1999 on Practical Guidelines for the General Elections issued
in May.

The supervisory committee's authority, stipulated in the
government decree, was backed on Wednesday by Minister of Home
Affairs Syarwan Hamid and Minister of Justice Muladi.

"The government decree was established to anticipate a
possible dispute over the validity of the final poll results,"
Syarwan said before a Cabinet meeting.

Meanwhile, Muladi said it was unreasonable to ask for a review
of the decree because it was drawn up by all election-related
institutions.

"It's strange if KPU members say that the government decree is
irrelevant and needs to be reviewed," Muladi said.

Rudini said the members were far from intending to disrupt the
stages of the poll.

"Our concern is that the public needs to be informed whether
the election was fairly and honestly organized."

He also said the problem lay in the difference between the
government decree and the 1999 electoral law on the institution
authorized to validate the poll results.

In a related development, the Central Sulawesi Provincial
Elections Committee decided on Wednesday to deploy three
investigation teams to three subdistricts in Donggala regency,
following reports of poll results manipulation.

Meanwhile, in Bandung, chairman of the West Java chapter of
the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU) Tb. Bakti Sudjana
announced on Wednesday that his party withdrew its involvement in
a stembus akoord (vote-sharing) agreement among 12 parties,
saying the deal would only benefit big Muslim-oriented parties.
(imn/prb/38/43)