Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Hoping to avoid the tarnished image of the 2004 General Elections Commission (KPU), the House of Representatives is drafting new legislation on an independent and accountable elections commission to organize democratic, free and fair general elections in 2009.
The House special committee appointed to deliberate the bill said in a press conference here Friday that the committee and the government had agreed on the new composition and the construction of the next general elections commission and two complementary bodies as well as the recruitment of their members.
The bill gives the President a mandate to establish a five-member selection team to pick 21 professionals to be nominated as candidates for the general elections commission.
"The President will submit the 21 names to the House, which will conduct tests to ensure they are fit and proper. The House will select only seven of them to be sworn in (by the President) as permanent members of KPU. The new KPU will help set up chapters in provinces, regencies and municipalities nationwide," special committee chairman Saifullah Ma'shum said.
Unlike the 2004 commission, the secretariat general for the new commission would be fully integrated with the KPU, he said.
"Of the most importance is that the new KPU be required to be periodically held accountable to the President in terms of performance and to the House in terms of supervision to avoid any technical and financial problems in all phases of the general election," Saifullah said.
The bill also allows the President to set up an ad hoc honorary council to supervise the election commission and its secretariat general. A similar council will also be established in provinces, regencies and municipalities.
"The honorary council will make sure the KPU and local election commissions conduct their tasks in accordance with the official procedure, while the electoral supervisory body will handle any problems in line with the law," said the deputy chairman of the House special committee, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, who accompanied Saifullah at the press briefing.
The activities of the current KPU are controlled by its deputy chairman, Ramlan Surbakti, and two remaining members, Chusnul Mariyah and Valina Singka Subekti. Chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, three commission members and several officials from the secretariat general are serving jail sentences at Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta in connection with a graft case in the institution.
Catholic priest Mudji Sutrisno and sociologist Imam Prasodjo resigned soon after their inaugurations, while Hamid Awaluddin, who was allegedly involved in the graft case, was appointed to his current job as minister of justice and human rights and another commission member, Anas Urbaningrum, quit his job and joined President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party.
The three jailed members were Mulyana W. Kusumah, Daan Dimara and Rusadi Kantaprawira. Mulyana was found guilty of attempting to bribe state auditors and receiving the back pay collected from KPU's partner companies. Nazaruddin, Daan and Rusadi were also found guilty of receiving back pay.
Ferry said the special committee had yet to agree on the new KPU's detailed tasks and authority but all factions in the committee and the government were of the same opinion that its main responsibilities would be organizing presidential and vice presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections.
When asked about the remaining members of the current KPU, Ferry said the bill allowed them to run for another five-year term, but they would be required to undergo the same examinations as the other candidates.