PPP's Djafar appointed to chair elections committee

JAKARTA (JP): Head of the United Development Party's (PPP) Jakarta chapter, Djafar Badjeber, was appointed chairman of the Provincial Elections Committee (PPD I) for the capital on Saturday.

Djafar, who received 23 votes from 50 ballots, will be assisted in the new body by two deputy chairmen: Harun Al Rasyid (22 votes), also head of the Masyumi Islamic Political Party, and Bagus Suharyono (20 votes) from the city administration.

Three committee secretaries were also appointed: Agus Sudjono from the United Believers Awakening Party, Azis Boeang from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Tonny Brawidjaya from the Islamic People's Party.

General Elections Commission (KPU) members made the appointments.

New committee members were inaugurated at City Hall by KPU executive Jakob Tobing. Governor Sutiyoso and scores of high- ranking city officials were also in attendance.

After the inauguration ceremony, Djafar insisted that committee members would carry out their tasks in line with Law No. 3/1999 on the general election.

"We will follow the ruling," he said.

The law stipulates that PPD I is to set up and coordinate Regional Elections Committees (PPD II), nominate city councilor candidates, hold the general election and count the ballots.

Like the national body, the Jakarta PPD I has representatives from all 48 political parties eligible to join the June general election and five government representatives.

During the voting process on Saturday, members of the Democratic Islam Party, and two representatives from Sutiyoso's administration failed to turn up. No explanation was provided for their absence at the meeting.

Before the inauguration ceremony, supporters from the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) Jakarta chapter under the former chairmanship of Lukman Mokoginta, staged a street protest in front of City Hall.

During the rally, which proceeded without incident, demonstrators protested that their representative, Sahala P. Sinaga, was not included in the list of candidates for the body.

PDI representative on the committee Rifkie Nawawi, was nominated head of the Jakarta chapter by PDI chairman Budi Hardjono after last year's party congress in Palu, South Sulawesi.

According to Budi, Lukman's leadership of the Jakarta chapter is no longer recognized, as the former did not attend the congress.

Jakob Tobing said the newly established committee had no authority on the matter as "it is a PDI internal problem". (ind)