Riau Islands, W. Irian Jaya still lack election commissions

Riau Islands, W. Irian Jaya still lack election commissions

Moch. N. Kurniawan and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno has sent a letter to the
General Elections Commission (KPU) instructing it to establish
provincial election commissions or KPUDs in the newly established
but troubled West Irian Jaya and Riau islands provinces.

"We received his letter last week. This delivers a signal that
the government may soon execute the establishment of the two
provinces," KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah told reporters in his
office on Wednesday.
g The government has been planning to separate Papua into three
provinces as follows: West Irian Jaya, Central Irian Jaya and
Papua as stipulated in Law No. 45/1999 although many protested
the plan as it conflicts with Law No. 21/2001 on Papua's special
autonomy status.

The law on Papua's special autonomy status stipulates that the
partition of the province should gain the approval of the Papuan
consultative assembly, which has not yet been established.

"In the West Irian Jaya issue, we will seek a legal opinion
from the Supreme Court to determine which law we should follow
before we prepare the provincial KPU," Mulyana said.

In the Riau islands case, the House endorsed a bill on the
establishment of the Riau islands province in September last
year, separating the islands from the Riau province.

At that time, Hari said further legal and technical
preparations were necessary for the establishment of the new
province.

KPU has given the government until the end of September to
establish new provinces and regencies so that the commission
could allocate legislative seats for the provinces and regencies.

Mulyana said if the establishment of West Irian Jaya and Riau
islands provinces could be realized, KPU must rearrange the
distribution of legislative seats.

Under the new election law, existing provinces should get a
similar number of seats to those in the 1999 election, meaning
Papua should get at least seven seats in the House of
Representatives (DPR).

Riau got 10 seats at the House in the 1999 election, but it is
expected to have 14 seats in the 2004 election due to its large
population.

Meanwhile, eight political parties have taken the registration
forms to join in the 2004 election.

The parties are Democratic Catholic Party (PKD), Indonesian
Union Party (PSI), Justice and Unity Party of Indonesia (PKP
Indonesia), Crescent Star Party (PBB), Crescent Party of Reform
(PBR), Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), National Concern
Party (PKPB), and Love the Nation Peace Promoter Party (PPDKB).

Separately, home minister Hari Sabarno said the government
would issue a decree to regulate leave for the President and Vice
President during the campaign period in the coming 2004 election.

Citing that both officials are also party leaders, Hari said
the regulation would obligate them to take turns in taking a
leave during the 21-day campaign period.

"The regulation will also apply to ministers and regional
heads as they will have to take turns in campaigning to ensure
that the campaign does not hamper the daily government
activities," Hari said.

He further said that during their official leave, government
officials would be prohibited from using state facilities.

"Except official residence and security guards for the
President and Vice President, the rest of the facilities will not
be available for them during the period," the minister said.

However, the minister failed to answer the question who will
sign the permit for the President and Vice President to take a
leave due to the absence of a regulation on the matter.