President agrees to poll schedule for troubled regions
President agrees to poll schedule for troubled regions
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has approved the
Local Elections Committee's (PPL) plan to hold elections in three
troubled provinces and newly established provinces and regencies
before October this year, an official said on Monday.
The chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU),
Rudini, who established the 51 member PPL in November, said the
President agreed to the plan but asked him to consult the House
of Representatives and Ministry of Home Affairs.
"It must be decided beforehand whether the local elections
will adopt the district system or maintain the present one," said
Rudini after meeting with Abdurrahman. PPL chairman Agus Miftah
joined Rudini for the meeting at Bina Graha presidential office.
Agus, from the Indonesian People's Party (Pari), said the
elections would likely be held in June, or at the utmost in
October, as required by the Law on Elections.
Agus said the planned polls would elect regional legislative
councils in three new provinces -- North Maluku, Central Irian
Jaya and East Irian Jaya -- and 43 new regencies, including Pidie
and North Aceh in the troubled province of Aceh and on Mentawai
Island off West Sumatra.
Other new and problematic regencies and mayoralties are
located in Riau, Jambi, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East
Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi and North Sulawesi.
"The deadline for the elections is in October, but we plan the
elections to be held in June," said Agus, who opposed
Abdurrahman's candidacy for the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) membership as the representative of the Functional Group in
September last year.
Agus previously said the planned polls would increase the
number of House of Representative (DPR) members by 32 and
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) members by 15.
According to Election Law No. 4/1999, each regency should be
represented in the DPR and each province deserves five
representatives in the MPR.
The KPU has estimated the cost of the upcoming elections at
about Rp 240 billion (US$34 million).
"However, this is only our proposal. The final decision is up
to the government," said Agus. (prb)