Survindo the winner of ballot box bid: KPU

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite strong allegations of a non-transparent process, the General Elections Commission (KPU) finally declared on Tuesday the controversial Survindo Indah Prestasi consortium as the definitive winner of the Rp 324-billion ballot boxes tender.

"KPU has decided upon Survindo ... as next year's elections ballot boxes provider," read the KPU instruction letter, issued on Tuesday and signed by KPU deputy secretary general, Susongko Suhardjo.

The controversy surrounding Survindo started when the KPU received a document from the Setiabudi tax office in South Jakarta, under which Survindo falls under its control. The document indicated that Survindo is a printing and publishing company, and not a tax-burdened firm as required by KPU.

KPU had classified the provision of aluminum ballot boxes as a warehouse and office goods tender. But the Survindo management said that, among its three main businesses, it was also a warehouse and office goods provider.

The KPU letter said Survindo should immediately start producing the ballot boxes and complete its job on schedule. The letter also said that Survindo was not allowed to subcontract its work to other firms.

KPU announced Survindo as the winner of the tender on Wednesday two weeks ago, with a total score of 92 during the administrative and technical evaluation and with a quotation of Rp 311 billion.

The five latest contenders -- Borimex with a score of 53, Tjakrindo Mas (66), Phun Deang (35), Elang Satria Jaya Abadi (49) and Almas (55) -- failed to qualify as they scored below the minimum of 80.

These firms had filed complaints with KPU, saying that KPU had not yet carried out field checks of the factory network of Survindo, the winning consortium. They also alleged that some members of Survindo's consortium were fictitious.

KPU was forced to check the factories of Survindo's network consortium last week, thus postponing the legalization of Survindo as the definitive winner.

Following the controversy, the House of Representatives Commission II agreed to set up a monitoring team to supervise the performance of KPU, including matters relating to the ongoing tenders.

KPU member Daan Dimara, said on Monday that the KPU field checks did not uncover anything wrong with the factories working with Survindo.

"All factory networks of Survindo are ready to produce the ballot boxes. The allegation that some of Survindo's consortium members are fictitious has not been proved either," he said.

According to him, KPU staff members had checked two factories working with Survindo in Medan, North Sumatra, five in Greater Jakarta and three in Surabaya.