Bring KPU members to court, analysts say

Andra Wisnu , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 07/07/2009 8:03 AM | Presidential Election

Besides the troubled electoral roll, the poor election management has put the General Election Commission (KPU) under fierce fire with the increasing demand for the polling body’s seven members to step down and stand trial.

The National Council for Changes and political analysts threatened Monday that they were still coordinating with political parties to file a lawsuit against the polling body as it had allegedly disrespected the voting rights of 47 million people in the April legislative elections.

“The increasing report on unregistered voters from regions and the verdict of the Constitutional Court, which allows the use of identity cards for unregistered voters at home and of passports for those abroad are hard evidence that the polling body is poorly managing the election,” Yudi Latief, a political analyst of the Paramadina University and Adie Massardi of the Bloc for Changes, said in their appreciation of the court’s decision Monday.

“They are committing human right abuses as millions of people are not on the electoral roll as is legally required.”

Previously, they urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to issue a government regulation-in-lieu-of-law (perppu) to salvage the presidential election and protect people’s constitutional rights.
They also urged the House of Representatives to replace the polling body’s seven members, who they considered incompetent and unprofessional in their duties.

According to them, the polling body has made many decisions that demonstrate its partiality.

“They also should be held responsible for the idle use of IT during the legislative polls,” Adhie said.

Separately, a group of activists calling themselves as the Activist of ’98 Connection “awarded” trophies to the polling body to show their “appreciation” for the commission’s poor performance.

“These trophies were specially made for the commission members. They have managed to prove their capabilities of holding the worst election in history,” the group’s spokesman, Nandang Wirakusuma, told a representative of the KPU who received the trophy in the KPU office.

Before that, there were at least three demonstrations from different civil organizations calling for the KPU to delay the election if the electoral roll had not been overhauled

As voting day approaches and with the rules changing again with the Constitutional Court’s decision legalizing the use of ID cards to vote, the KPU are facing a predicament that has not been seen since the new order regime.

As stipulated by law No. 10/2008 that governs the KPU, commission members face a penalty of from six months up to three years in prison and between Rp 6 million (US$588) and Rp 36 million in fines if they are found to have deliberately dismiss findings electoral roll mistakes by the Election Supervisory Committee (Bawaslu).

The same penalties apply should the courts find them guilty of deliberately printing more ballots than the required amount, or not implementing a court order, among other possible violations.
In the face of these serious allegations, the KPU had insisted there was no need to delay the presidential election, despite the troubled electoral roll.

KPU member I Gusti Putu Artha, said the commission had done its best to keep the election running within the legal boundaries, and that he was sure the members would not be penalized for the mistakes.

“Everything that the KPU has done, we have done as required by the law. If anybody wishes to challenge our interpretation of the law, they are welcome to bring proof to our office and we will try to meet their demands as permissible by the law.”

Far in advance of the general election, Bawaslu warned the polling body about the troubled electoral roll but the latter responded too slowly.