Plan to delay MPR session 'hasty': KPU

Plan to delay MPR session 'hasty': KPU

JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) has
termed "hasty" the government's announcement that the General
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), involving
the election of the president, would likely be postponed by a
month.

Technical difficulties would at most delay the announcement of
national vote counts from the general election by "three days",
KPU chairman Rudini said on Monday. He added that the rest of the
schedule would not be disrupted by the delay.

President B.J. Habibie signaled on Friday that the session to
elect a president and vice president would likely be moved to
December due to the KPU's decision to delay preceding stages,
including the national vote count.

The original schedule fixed July 8 as the date for the
announcement of final vote results for the national, provincial
and regional legislative bodies. KPU said last week that national
tallying would start on July 6.

Legal and political experts were alarmed by the government's
statement, fearing the likelihood of clashes between supporters
of rival political camps and the withdrawal of foreign investors
due to the continuation of the prolonged political uncertainty.

The commission took 10 days to decide that national tallying
would start on July 6, postponed from the original June 21.

Rudini said the KPU did not receive a request from the
National Elections Committee (PPI), which will carry out the
national ballot count, for a delay in the announcement of the
poll results.

He dismissed speculation PPI would need an additional month to
complete the tabulation, even though there will be only two days
from the start of counting on July 6 to the scheduled completion.

"I know that ballots in some regencies are still uncounted.
But if the PPI really needs extra time to complete the vote
count ... at the most, it would only need three additional days.

"Meanwhile, the schedule for subsequent stages of the general
election, including the MPR General Session, would not be
affected."

Separately, PPI chairman Jacob Tobing said on Monday that the
election committee would start the vote count at the PPI's
secretariat on Tuesday with official reports and tabulated
results from 18 provincial election committees.

Meanwhile, KPU's plenary meeting voted on Monday that only two
of five alliances of political parties were eligible to carry out
their vote-sharing agreements.

"The two groups submitted their agreements before the deadline
(June 4), complete with authorized signatures and their parties'
stamps," Rudini said after the meeting.

The first agreement involves the United Development Party
(PPP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Justice Party (PK), the
Nahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU), the Muslim Community Awakening Party
(PKU), the Indonesian United Islam Party 1905 (PSII-1905), the
Islamic Community Party (PUI) and the Indonesian Masyumi Islamic
Political Party (PPIM).

The second agreement involves the Love the Nation Democratic
Party (PDKB), the Indonesian Unity in Diversity Part (PBI) and
the Indonesian Democrats Alliance Party (PADI).

Member parties of the other three groups are therefore denied
the possibility of securing seats in the House of
Representatives.

Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI) Sri
Bintang Pamungkas, whose party was not among the two eligible
groups, urged that they still be given the opportunity to
establish vote-sharing agreements, often called stembus akoord.

"I'm concerned with the people's votes, which cannot be
accommodated by the two stembus akoord agreements," he said.

"I know that it's only a proposal and a totally new mechanism.
Still, the people who have voted for the minority parties also
should be represented in the House."

He suggested that a new faction of minority parties be
established in the legislature.

As of late Monday provisional results released by the General
Elections Commission showed the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) had won 23.68 million votes; Golkar had
12.67 million votes and the National Awakening Party (PKB) had
11.31 million votes.(imn)