PPI gives less time to public

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)