PPI finally distributes DPR seats

PPI finally distributes DPR seats

JAKARTA (JP): The National Elections Committee (PPI) closed
the extended saga on the distribution of legislative seats on
Wednesday, allocating the remaining 120 seats in the House of
Representatives (DPR).

In all, 21 of the 48 political parties who contested the June
7 general election won seats in the House.

There was no major change in the top five parties, with the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) hauling
153 seats, the Golkar Party 120 seats, the United Development
Party (PPP) 58 seats, the National Awakening Party (PKB) 51, and
the National Mandate Party (PAN) 34 seats.

The House consists of 500 seats, of which 462 were contested
in the elections.

Based on the formula devised in the electoral law, parties had
to win a certain quota of votes to gain each seat in a particular
province.

Following a drawn-out vote tally, 120 seats were left
undistributed due to leftover votes that did not fulfill the
quotas.

Controversy then erupted on how the remaining seats would be
divided in a vote-sharing agreement, known as stembus akoord.

As a result, allocation of seats was delayed for over a month
as the elections committee and eight Muslim-based parties bound
in a stembus akoord differed on their interpretation of how the
vote-sharing agreement should be implemented.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) finally decided on
Monday, to the dismay of the eight parties, to allocate the
remaining 120 seats to the parties with the largest remaining
share of votes that did not meet the quotas.

In reaction to Monday's decision, the eight Muslim-based
parties submitted a protest and said they would file a lawsuit
against the commission.

The eight parties calculated that they would have shared 58
seats instead of the 39 they are now allocated.

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

PPI chairman Jacob Tobing said the committee had sent a letter
to all 48 political parties informing them of the final
distribution of seats.

"The committee asked the 21 political parties (who gained
seats) to submit their candidates to the committee by 12 noon on
Sept. 7 at the latest," said Tobing.

The committee would then conduct an administrative review of
the candidates, said Tobing, who sits on the committee as a
representative of PDI Perjuangan

The newly elected members of the House and the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) will be sworn in from Oct. 1 to Oct.
3.

All House members are also members of the 700-member Assembly,
which will elect a president in November.

Meanwhile, Antara reported from Surabaya, East Java, that
3,797 members of the Indonesian Navy's Marine Corps will be
deployed to safeguard the approaching MPR General Session.

"Where the troops will be deployed is up to Indonesian
Military commander, Gen. Wiranto," Col. Ahmad Rifai, commander of
the 1st Marine Infantry Brigade, said. (05/emf)