PPI gives less time to public
JAKARTA (JP): The public will only have two days to judge and raise objections to the provisional list of 13,000 legislature candidates that the National Elections Committee (PPI) was scheduled to announce on Friday night.
The provisional list was originally scheduled for release on May 12 and was to followed by three days of dissemination across the country. Now the public has only May 16 and May 17 on which to raise objections before the committee issues the final list of legislature candidates for the 48 political parties contesting the June 7 poll.
Committee chairman Jacob Tobing defended the late announcement of the list, saying the list was completed and signed on May 11 at 11 p.m. "But we had difficulty printing the 13,000 names in such a short time," Jacob explained.
"It would be impossible to broadcast such a long list on television the way we did in the 1997 election," he said.
"So even though we are a bit late in printing the list and distributing it across the country, I am optimistic that it won't delay the announcement of final list on Tuesday, May 18," Jacob added.
He also said the committee faced problems with the printing company, PT Metro Pos, in Pulogadung, East Jakarta.
"We have had a team from PPI closely supervising the company, and it is likely the list will be printed in newspaper format" like the list for the university entrance examination, he said.
Jacob said several parties had experienced problems compiling their lists of candidates. He said the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) had faced problems because activists from the PDI led by Budi Hardjono had registered themselves as PDI Perjuangan candidates.
"The party was forced to recheck its list," said Jacob, who represents the PDI Perjuangan on the General Elections Commission (KPU).
Reports said Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) will run in Jakarta, former vice president Try Sutrisno, who is now a supporter of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP), will also run in Jakarta, as will Nur Muhammad Iskandar of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
The chairman of the United Development Party (PPP), Hamzah Haz, will also be nominated in Jakarta. Megawati Soekarnoputri of PDI Perjuangan has been named as the party's candidate in Bandung, West Java, rather than in Jakarta as previously reported.
PDI Perjuangan figures who will now run from Jakarta include Roy B.B. Janis, Kwik Kian Gie, Sabam Sirait and Aberson Sihaloho.
Political activist Pius Lustrilanang will run in Bogor and businessman Arifin Panigoro in Tangerang. (edt)