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.