Validity of KPU computerized results queried

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)