PPI culls names from legislative list

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)