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KPU prepares regulation for presidential run-off
Almost ready: A worker checks on ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations in 850 villages in North Aceh regency, Aceh, on Tuesday
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Almost ready: A worker checks on ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations in 850 villages in North Aceh regency, Aceh, on Tuesday. Election officials have registered more than 393,000 eligible voters for the July 9 presidential election throughout the regency. (Antara/Rahmad) (Antara/Rahmad)
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span class="inline inline-none">Almost ready: A worker checks on ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations in 850 villages in North Aceh regency, Aceh, on Tuesday. Election officials have registered more than 393,000 eligible voters for the July 9 presidential election throughout the regency. (Antara/Rahmad)
The General Elections Commission (KPU) is preparing for a run-off presidential election even though the Constitutional Court has yet to decide whether such a move is necessary given that this year's election involves only two candidates.
KPU commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay said on Tuesday that the commission would maintain the position that in order to be declared the winner in the presidential election, a candidate must receive at least 50 percent-plus-one of the votes, while also garnering a minimum of 20 percent of the votes in more than 17 provinces.
'We have a stance and now we have written it down as regulation. The draft is done but we have to finalize it,' he told reporters at the KPU's headquarters in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
Under these rules, if neither the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo-Jusuf Kalla ticket, nor the Gerindra Party's Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa ticket were able to meet both conditions, then another round of voting would be required by law. The second round of voting would be held on Sept. 9.
'During the second round, the largest vote-getter will be declared the winner,' Hadar said, indicating that there would be no electoral spread requirement should the presidential election go to a second round.
According to Hadar, the KPU made the decision to create the regulation after receiving input from both campaigns on Monday.
'We perceived the Prabowo campaign to favor the two round scenario, while the Jokowi team felt otherwise,' Hadar said
PDI-P liaison officer Sudyatmiko Aribowo said that a two-round election would be a waste of money and result in a decline in voter participation.
'Do not let the election be held in two rounds just for the sake of a rematch. The two-round election regulation assumes a third candidate falling out in the first round. In this election we do not have three candidates, we only have two,' he said.
The prospect of a two-round election has elicited criticism from many who feel it would be unwise to require the public to vote twice for the same candidates. It has also prompted mounting support for the commission to consult the Constitutional Court on the matter.
Last Friday, the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) filed a judicial review of the law in question, Article 159 in the 2008 Election Law. A decision from he Constitutional Court is expected before the July 9 race.
