Watchdog asks KPU to extend public test

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 10/04/2008 8:01 AM  |  Headlines

The polls watchdog has strongly criticized the General Elections Commission (KPU) for failing to publish the full list of names of legislative candidates, thus preventing the public from assessing the nominees.

The General Elections Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) said the KPU should extend the period for public comments on the preliminary list of legislative candidates to give the public greater opportunity to lodge any comments on nominees’ performance.

“We will ask the KPU to extend it for between five and seven days. The more public comments, the better will be the quality of the next batch of legislators,” Bawaslu member Wahidah Suaib told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The KPU earlier announced that the public could lodge comments on legislative candidates until Oct. 9.

The polls body said the preliminary list of legislative candidates would be published in Republika news-paper and on state-owned broadcaster TVRI.

But by Friday the KPU had yet to publish the names — a week after the Sept. 27 deadline. The KPU website displayed information on only a few candidates from certain parties.

Wahidah said the weeklong nationwide Idul Fitri holiday had prevented public comments as most Indonesian Muslims were busy celebrating the holidays.

“It’s not fair if the KPU insists on closing the door for public comments on Oct. 9 because the polls body has yet to publish the list of candidates in newspapers or on television,” she said.

Under the 2008 election law, the public may offer comments on legislative candidates within 10 days of the KPU announcing its preliminary list of candidates.

The law requires the KPU to announce the names and photographs of each legislative candidate in one national newspaper and on one television station for five days in a row.

In announcing the finalization of the preliminary list of legislative candidates on Sept. 26, the polls body said only that 11,868 nominees had passed the administrative verification. The KPU disqualified 2,152 candidates, including candidates from each of the 38 parties.

The KPU is scheduled to announce the final list by Oct. 31 at the latest.

Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) executive director Hadar S. Gumay said the KPU should respect the public’s right as stipulated in the legislative election law.

“The 10-day period for the public to assess the nominees should be counted from the date when the preliminary list is published in the media. Otherwise, the KPU is breaking the law,” he said.

A number of legislative candidates expressed concern over the limited public access to the list.
Legislative hopeful Yusuf Pohulisa Sitepu from Medan, North Sumatra, visited the KPU office to check the list.

“I wanted to make sure that my name is on the list. I also needed to know who my competitors from other parties are to determine strategies to win votes,” he told the Post.

“I check the KPU website every day but it only shows candidates from a few parties. Candidates from outside Jakarta are just relying on phone calls from party headquarters.”

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