3 parties may lose seats; 2 will get more

The Jakarta Post ,  JAKARTA   |  Fri, 06/26/2009 10:52 AM  |  Presidential Election

Three parties are likely to lose seats in the House of Representatives, while two others are to earn more seats after the Constitutional Court ordered a revision of the legislative elections result.

On June 11, 2009, the court asked the General Elections Commission (KPU) to revise the legislative election results due to a misinterpretation of the legislative seat allocation method.

A preliminary simulation based on the revised method from the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro)  disclosed Thursday the Democratic Party (PD) and the Golkar Party are most likely to lose one seat each, while the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) will probably lose two.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) is most likely to earn three more seats and the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) will probably earn one more seat.

Other parties, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) are unlikely to experience any changes in their seats allocation.

The revised method will not just alter the already announced legislative seat allocation among parties, but also change the names of the candidates earning the seats.

Hadar Gumay, Cetro’s executive director, said Thursday at least 16 legislator-elects might lose their seats after the court revised the recent legislative elections results.

“The number may increase depending on the court’s other verdicts, such as those concerning repeat election and vote rechecks in many regencies across the nation as repeat elections and rechecks would change the national vote count.”

On June 9, the court ordered the KPU to do a vote rerun in South Nias regency, North Sumatra, following vote-rigging in the region and the lack of a plenary session to verify the election results among the polling station working committees and the district election commissions.

Hadar said the repeat election results in South Nias regency could change the seat allocation.

He further said the court’s verdict concerning PPP legislative election results in Central Java IX electoral district would also change the seat allocation.

“We’re positive the court’s verdict concerning the Central Java IX results will see one candidate from the PPP earning another seat.”

The court stated the PPP should have earned 77,175 votes instead of the 77,127 previously announced by the KPU. The court’s verdict could see Icuk Sugiarto, a badminton legend and a candidate from PPP, making his way to the House.

Agus Purnomo, a legislator from PKS, warned the KPU’s misinterpretation of the seat allocation method could lead to political chaos.

“Discontent over the court’s verdict ordering a revision of the legislative election results means legislators-elect forced to relinquish their seats may mobilize their masses and create political chaos.” (fmb)  

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