N

ational printing giants were among nine winners announced Friday of a tender to procure 693 million ballots for the legislative elections.

However, the General Elections Commission (KPU) reopened a tender to procure ballots for Sulawesi, Maluku and North Maluku because only two companies participated in the bid.

The elections body offered 10 contractual packages in the tender to supply ballots to different regions.

The KPU also announced Friday the winner of a tender to procure permanent legislative candidate forms.

All winning bidders were expected to sign the contract next week and begin producing early February. All the election materials must reach polling stations across the country by the end of March.

The KPU has set April 9 as the date for House of Representatives, Regional Representatives Council and local legislature members elections.

Earlier Wednesday, the KPU unveiled the winners of a tender to supply seals and ink for ballots for the legislative elections.

The KPU also announced Friday the standby bidders; companies whose bids did not win the tenders but who would inherit the contracts should the winners prove incapable of fulfilling the contracts' stipulations.

KPU member Abdul Aziz said the tender committee had taken into consideration the winners' capabilities to print and distribute the ballots, as some had secured contracts to supply ballots to multiple regions.

The KPU said it had learned from its mistakes in 2004 when election materials were distributed behind schedule and tenders became hot spots for corruption.

The distribution will start from remote areas as it will take the suppliers longer to deliver the materials.

In response to the KPU announcement, Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) member Bambang Eka Cahya Widodo called for tight security measures in the distribution of the ballots to polling stations throughout the country to prevent corruption.

Bambang said strict security was essential to preventing errors in the printing and delivery of the ballots and also ensuring the contract deadlines were met.

Winners of ballots Tender

RegionConsortium
IPT Pura Barutama
IIPT Sumex Intermedia
IIICV Ganeca Exact Bandung
IVPT Sinar Agape Press
VCV Ganeca Exact Bandung
VIPT Masscom Graphy
VIIPT Pura Barutama
VIIIPT Temprina Media Grafika
IXPT Temprina Media Grafika

Winner of legislative candidate forms tender