Poll disputes may disrupt election schedule

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 01/06/2009 11:09 AM  |  Headlines

The Constitutional Court will have to speed up the settlement of legislative election disputes or risk disrupting the presidential election schedule and causing a power vacuum, the General Elections Commission (KPU) warned Monday.

The poll body says it expects the court to cope with disputes within 17 days, although the 2003 law on the Constitutional Court allows it 30 days.

KPU member Andi Nurpati said the presidential election might have to be moved back by one month to August, and a runoff, if needed, would only take place after Oct. 21 -- the date set for the new government to take office.

"If the first round of the presidential election is held in August, the runoff might happen after the incumbent President and Vice President end their term on Oct. 20," Andi told reporters.

Legislative elections will be held on April 9, while the first round of the presidential election is scheduled to take place on July 28, with a runoff on Sept. 3.

"Only if the legislative election disputes are settled within 17 days at the most can we keep the presidential election on schedule," she said.

Delaying the presidential election will affect all the administrative processes of the election, from registering and verifying documents for presidential and vice presidential candidates, to supplying logistics for the possible runoff.

The outcome of the legislative elections will determine which parties may nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates. Only parties that secure at least 25 percent of popular votes in the legislative election, or 12 House of Representatives seats will be entitled to contest the presidential election.

Andi said it could take the KPU up to a month to announce the winning candidates for House seats for the 2009-2013 period.

The KPU warns legislative election disputes could be widespread, particularly after the Constitutional Court ruled legislative seats must go to candidates winning the most votes.

"We had almost finished the draft regulation on how to determine the elected legislative members when the court's verdict was delivered. We have delayed the draft pending our study of the ruling," Andi said.

She added problems could arise because of the court's verdict, for instance if three candidates won the same amount of votes with only one legislative seat available.

The KPU and the Constitutional Court formed a joint team last week to monitor the election progress.

Court chief Mahfud MD said both state institutions were committed to guarding the elections to ensure they were organized properly and in line with the Constitution.

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