Regency election committee members resign, KPU says

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has approved the resignation of six members of its regency branches, some of them due to alleged corruption.

KPU chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin said the six were among 19 members of regency or municipality branches who are to give up their posts for various reasons, including alleged corruption and affiliation with political parties.

The six are Bahder Johan Nasution from Jambi's KPU municipality office, who resigned after failing to get the chairmanship, Rajosimarajo from Payakumbuh in West Sumatra, who complained about health problems, Petrus Beruatwarin from Southeast Maluku due to his affiliation with a political party, Nurhasanah from Central Tapanuli for undisclosed reasons, and Allen Ngepek from East Barito regency in Central Kalimantan for being involved in a dispute with the governor.

According to the regulations, those who resign will be replaced by those who ranked just behind them in the selection of local election commission members.

Each election commission has five members, who must not have criminal record or affiliation with political parties. The law says a KPU should have a maximum 11 members.

"A provincial or regency KPU branch that has less than five members will violate the law and trigger flawed election results," Nazaruddin told reporters at his office.

Recently, KPU members Imam Prasodjo and Mudji Sutrisno resigned from the KPU as the election law bans KPU members from holding other jobs, and requires those who are also civil servants to take extended leave.

Both Imam and Mudji preferred to continue working as lecturers in their respective universities instead of serving on the KPU until 2006.

Nazaruddin said he hoped the provincial KPUs would start resolving the forced resignation of local KPU members at the regency and municipality levels.

"Don't ask us to resolve all the problems. The KPU will handle the recalling of provincial KPU members to help us focus our energies on the preparations for the general elections," he said.

Separately, KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbaki said the KPU must now work out the presidential election schedule, the campaign period, and the printing of ballot papers to avoid any delays in the election of a new president on Oct. 20, 2004.

A decree of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) stipulates that the current presidential term will last until that date.

"We have not yet concluded that the country will not be able to inaugurate a new president on Oct. 20, 2004. We are still trying to calculate precisely the period needed for the printing of ballot papers and their distribution to avoid this happening," he said.