PPS members threaten to quit

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Dozens of members of the poll committee (PPS) in Kendari have threatened the local General Elections Commission (KPU) that they will resign as they are lowly paid.

Kiesman Thalib, one of poll committee members from Wakorumba subdistrict here, complained on Thursday that they had been working for six months and they were paid only Rp 40,000 (US$4.7) per month.

The job is actually a part-time job.

Kiesman said that the workload was getting heavier in the run up to the upcoming elections, and if the honorarium was not increased immediately, they would resign.

For the time being, the committee members have only been joining training programs held by KPU and been doing other light work.

But, ahead of the election, they would be much busier, because they have to manage the vote casting and the vote count in the elections.

Tumbo Saranani, the chairman of Kendari KPU, said that he would discuss the matter immediately with other members of the KPU.

Currently, there are 156 poll committee members in 52 subdistricts in Kendari. -- JP