KPU publishes interim list of legislative candidates

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 10/08/2008 10:26 AM  |  Headlines

The General Elections Commission (KPU) published a preliminary list of legislative candidates in printed media on Tuesday and extended the deadline for the public to lodge comments on the candidates by five days to Oct. 14.

"By giving extra time, we hope the public can actively comment on the performances of the candidates. We also expect the public to double check the candidates on the list," KPU member I Gusti Putu Artha said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The temporary list was published in Republika daily newspaper and was announced on state-owned TV station TVRI.

The KPU's provincial chapters also published their lists of provincial legislative candidates in local media. Some of the media companies presented photos of the candidates next to their names.

The 2008 law on legislative elections requires the KPU to keep the list in publication for five days and to include photos of the candidates.

"We can only publish it for a day due to a lack of funding," Gusti said.

The KPU's temporary list names 11,868 candidates that can compete for 560 seats at the House of Representative in the elections, scheduled for April 9, 2009. The poll body rejected 2,152 candidates.

The list includes many family members of party executives.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's youngest son, Edhie Baskoro, tops the Democratic Party's East Java candidate list.

Yudhoyono will run for a second presidential term with incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla of the Golkar Party as a running mate.

Their toughest challenger will be former president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, whose daughter, Puan Maharani, is a PDI-P candidate in Central Java.

Megawati's party has also nominated her husband Taufik Kiemas and younger brother Guruh Soekarnoputra as legislative candidates for next year's polls.

Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono will campaign in Jakarta, while his son Dave Akbarshah Fikarno will contest for a seat in West Java. Party cadre Tantowi Yahya, a noted master of ceremonies, will run in his homeland of South Sumatra, while Metro TV presenter Meutya Hafid will campaign in North Sumatra.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) co-founder Amien Rais has nominated his son, Ahmad Mumtaz, to run in Central Java. The party also nominated Secretary Minister Hatta Radjasa's brother Achmad Hafisz Tohir as a candidate in South Sumatra.

The People's Conscience Party (Hanura) has nominated Rugaiaya Usman, the wife of party chairman Wiranto, as a candidate in Gorontalo.

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