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)