Voters file suit against KPU

JAKARTA: A group of people claiming to represent voters in several cities has filed a class action suit against the General Elections Commission (KPU) for its poor performance that prevented them from exercising their right to vote.

The people, calling themselves the Election Advocacy Team, demanded Rp 1 trillion (US$117.647 million) in nonmaterial damages for being prevented from exercising their right to vote in the April 5 general election.

They filed the lawsuit with the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

The team said they were representing rejected voters in Jakarta, the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh, the South Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin, the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang and the Papua capital of Jayapura.

The plaintiffs said that they had actively tried to register themselves as voters, but to no avail. It was unclear why they did not receive voter cards.

The legal representative of the team Carrel Ticualu said the KPU was responsible for registering voters in accordance with Law No. 12/2003 on elections.

Unable to vote, his clients felt they had lost their right as citizens, said Ticualu. Aside from nonmaterial damages, the plaintiffs also demanded that the KPU publish an apology in the media. -- Antara