Vote count finished for 12 provinces
JAKARTA (JP): The National Elections Committee (PPI) completed the vote counting in 12 provinces on Wednesday, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) dominating in Central and East Java and Bali.
The tallying was based on provincial reports of ballot results from Aceh, East and Central Kalimantan, Irian Jaya and Jambi.
Results from Bali, Riau, Lampung, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, East Timor were completed on Tuesday.
According to tentative results, PDI Perjuangan, which led in Bali, East and West Java and Yogyakarta, grabbed 75 seats at the House of Representatives. The Golkar Party, which is dominating in Aceh, Riau and Irian Jaya, gained 31 seats.
From the 12 provinces, the National Awakening Party (PKB) collected 35 seats, the National Mandate Party (PAN) took 11 while United Development Party (PPP) won 14.
The PPI decided in its plenary session on Wednesday to postpone tallying votes in North Sulawesi and Bengkulu because of an absence of official documents needed for counting. The two provinces' Provincial Elections Committees were given two days to complete the required documents and data.
PPI deputy chairman Djuhad Mahja told The Jakarta Post after the plenary session that the elections commission was not sure if it would be able to complete the vote count by July 15, a deadline set by the General Elections Commission (KPU).
"PPI has informed KPU that the national vote count may be finished on July 21," he said.
He therefore predicted the swearing-in of new legislators and of members of the provincial and regency legislatures would be postponed.
But Djuhad said he did not know whether the delay would affect the schedule of the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). Following much criticism, the government has denied it was planning a delay of the MPR Session which would lead the presidential election to be held in December.
On Monday, KPU set the MPR General Session schedule for Oct. 1 to Oct. 3.
Despite the denial by the government, PDI Perjuangan, PKB and PAN jointly stated their rejection of suggestions that the MPR Session might be delayed, saying this could cause unrest.
The rejection was made in a meeting between PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Haryanto Taslam, PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri and PKB secretary-general Iskandar Muhaimin in Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday.
The three also discussed ways to avoid violence before the MPR General Session.
Muhaimin said they also agreed to continue to push for the reform agenda regardless of who the next president would be.
Faisal said they also agreed to reject the call for the establishment of a small parties' alliance in the next House.
"All small parties, which fail to gain 2 percent or 10 percent, of 462 seats in the next House, have no right to get seats in the two legislative bodies," he said.
Minor parties in the General Elections Commission had made the proposal on Tuesday, saying it would help save otherwise wasted votes.
Faisal and the other party executives indicated they would support suggestions that the minor parties would be allowed to contest the 2004 general election. (rms/nur)