PPI culls names from legislative list

JAKARTA (JP): Some 3,500 names were dropped from the final provincial legislative list which previously contained some 13,500 candidates, due to failures in completing required documents and a number of violations found, National Elections Committee (PPI) chairman Jacob Tobing said Thursday.

"It is estimated that there will be only about 10,000 candidates," Jacob said.

The committee completed on Wednesday the final list of legislative candidates. However, after rechecking the list on Wednesday night before distributing lists on diskettes to the media, some mistakes were discovered, he said.

As of Thursday night, the lists had yet to be given to the media as previously scheduled.

Jacob said a number of candidates were dropped because of strong objections including from themselves; some said they did not know and did not approve of their nomination. The committee found others had not completed required documents.

"For instance the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI) still submitted the names of Kemal Idris and Ali Sadikin, while both rejected the nomination," Jacob said.

Kemal Idris and Ali Sadikin are members of Barisan National or National Front, an opposition group comprising several retired generals and government officials.

"Some of the candidates also failed to submit voters registration note," Jacob added.

The delay in the announcement of both temporary and final provincial legislative lists is due to limited time and work force, Jacob explained.

"The officials stayed up late for weeks. So I think it's better to be a bit late but perfect," Jacob, also a representative for PDI Perjuangan, said.

Jacob acknowledged that the committee had "neglected" setting a time frame for parties to raise objections in accordance with the elections law.

A request for more time from the General Election Commission (KPU) was not granted given the short time ahead of the June 7 poll, he said.

As a result, only two days were allowed for both parties and the public to challenge the listing. In the earlier set schedule, there were six days to raise objections, from May 12 until a day before the temporary list was issued on May 18.

Most changes from the temporary list to final lists involved candidates from the three established parties -- the United Development Party (PPP), the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), he said.

"But most of the candidates who were dropped were from new parties," Jacob added.

Separately in Jambi, Antara reported the ruling party Golkar topped the list of legislative candidates with 77 names, followed by the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) with 54 and 45 names, respectively.

The Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) followed with 38 and 37 candidates separately. (edt)