The General Elections Commission (KPU) is racing to finish its tiered vote tabulation of last month’s general election after sluggish progress in several provinces, including West Java, has cast doubt over the poll body’s ability to meet its March 20 deadline.

By Sunday morning, the KPU had certified the returns from 32 out of 38 provinces, along with most of the returns from overseas election committees. The KPU was to hold a meeting on Sunday night to certify the returns from Central Papua.

West Java, the country’s most populous province, is an outlier among the five provinces that have yet to complete their vote tabulation. Unlike West Java, the four other provinces – Maluku and Papua as well as the newly established provinces of Southwest Papua and the Papua Highlands – all are located in the eastern part of the country and often suffer from logistical issues.

KPU chair Hasyim Asy’ari slammed on Saturday the lack of progress in West Java. The KPU central office has not yet certified the results from West Java pending the returns from Bekasi regency.

“This is the first time that West Java is in the same cluster [as provinces] in Papua, despite the fact that all other KPU [offices] across Java have completed their vote tabulation. This has caught our attention,” Hasyim said.

The KPU West Java office, meanwhile, continued on Sunday its tabulation in Bekasi.

Despite the setback in West Java, KPU central office commissioner August Mellaz said his office was still optimistic that it could finish the tabulation and announce the winners by the Wednesday deadline.

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