Validity of KPU computerized results queried
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Provincial Elections Committee has questioned the validity of data used by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in its ballot tally for the House of Representatives.
Djafar Badjeber, chairman of the polls committee, said on Tuesday it was a surprise that KPU managed to update ballot counting in the city without having to seek reports from polling committees in district and subdistrict levels.
"KPU should have based its computerized vote counting on reports from subdistrict polling committees, but things have gone the other way around with us receiving the information from KPU," Djafar said.
According to the original procedure issued by KPU, results of the ballot counting from polling places would be released for further processing only after being endorsed by subdistrict election committees.
"All subdistrict election committees were scheduled to meet to endorse the ballot counting results only on Tuesday, so how could KPU release votes tallied beforehand?" he said.
According to KPU regulation, the ballot counting team is allowed to access data directly from subdistrict polling committees and enter it into computers. It takes KPU longer to process the counting if it uses a manual and traditional system because the data must go to the district, regional, provincial and national polling committees respectively before being announced by KPU.
Despite the question, Djafar said the polling committee would not further the complaint to KPU.
At 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) earned 1,425 votes for the House of Representatives and 1,410 for city council. National Mandate Party (PAN) was second with 809 votes for the House and 784 for city council. Golkar Party ranked third with 432 votes for the House and 435 for city council. The United Development Party (PPP) was fourth with 262 votes for the House and 252 vote for city council.
Normalcy
The capital city returned to normal on Tuesday as millions of Jakartans went back to work. Traffic congestions were seen on the city's main streets, including Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Kramat Raya and Jl. Jatinegara.
Public buses and minivans reappeared on streets. Shops and shopping centers, including those in the Chinatown areas of Glodok and Mangga Dua, West Jakarta, were also reopened.
Meanwhile, police continued the questioning of five men in connection with the Monday burning of a polling place in the Tangerang, West Java village of Kemuning.
The men were questioned as witnesses, according to city police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis.
The witnesses, all Kemuning residents, were identified as Murta, Hamidi, Ahyali, Komari and Johani, and were arrested a few hours after Monday's incident.
Lubis said the five men were among dozens of residents who arrived in a truck at Kresek district office at about 10 a.m., to protest the polling committee's decision to deny them entry to the polling place.
The angry residents returned to the polling place and set at least 550 ballots, the ballot boxes and polling booths erected in the village on fire.
In a related development, the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) announced a vast range of violations took place during Monday's balloting across Greater Jakarta.
In a report made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, KIPP listed 115 violations, ranging from damaged ballot boxes to inappropriate polling booths.
The violations were found during KIPP volunteers' monitoring of a number of polling places in the capital city and in neighboring Depok, Bekasi and Tangerang. There were also reports from both people and police.
In the report, KIPP also identified the violators, who included polling committee members, party supporters, voters and security personnel.
Damaged ballot boxes were found at polling place number 17 in Cempaka Putih subdistrict, Central Jakarta and in Srengseng, West Jakarta.
Washable ink was reported in Menteng and Kebon Kosong subdistricts in Central Jakarta, Tomang subdistrict in West Jakarta, Kebon Manggis subdistrict in East Jakarta, North Kota Bambu subdistrict in North Jakarta and Pondok Pucung and Cimone subdistricts in Tangerang.
KIPP volunteers also found supporters of United Development Party holding street rallies at Kwitang and Harapan Mulya subdistricts in Central Jakarta during election day.
The nongovernment poll watchdog also complained that some of its volunteers were denied access by subdistrict polling committees in Tanjung Duren, Jatipulo, Palmerah and Kapuk Depan subdistricts, all in West Jakarta. (ind/jun)