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House appoints new election commissioners
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Election talks: Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) chairman Muhammad (second right) and General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioners Arief Budiman (second left) and Sigit Pamungkas (left) attend a hearing at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on March 21. (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari)
T
he House of Representatives has appointed seven new commissioners for the General Election Commission (KPU) and five for the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu).
House Commission II overseeing home affairs took a vote on the candidates as its members failed to reach a consensus in the wee hours of Wednesday, after two days of confirmation hearings for 24 proposed candidates for the two institutions.
The new KPU commissioners are Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi and Wahyu Setiawan, with 55 votes respectively, Ilham Saputra and Hasyim Asy'ari, with 54 votes respectively, Viryan with 52 votes, Evi Novida Ginting Manik with 48 and Arief Budiman with 30 votes.
Hasyim and Arief are incumbents who passed screening, leaving three other incumbents to go through the selection process.
The new Bawaslu commissioners are Ratna Dewi Pettalolo with 54 votes, Mochammad Afifuddin with 52 votes, Rahmat Bagja 51 votes, Abhan with 34 votes and Fritz Edward Siregar with 33 votes.
The voting finished at 4 a.m.
"We'll bring the voting results to the consultation meeting this afternoon and officially announce the results in a plenary session on April 6," Commission II chairman Zainuddin Amali of the Golkar Party said after the meeting.
(Read also: House to hold confirmation hearings for new KPU, Bawaslu commissioners)
The new KPU and Bawaslu commissioners will serve for the period of 2017-2022, meaning they will be responsible for preparing and organizing the country's first simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in 2019. (dan)
