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)