Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) on Thursday deflected criticism over findings that more than 36 million eligible voters nationwide were still not registered, six days before the registration deadline.
The KPU blamed the problem on the government's poor population census and the failure of political parties to encourage their constituents to register.
"The fact is many of our citizens have no identity numbers. It is a very basic requirement for registering voters," KPU member Andi Nurpati said.
She added most people aged 17 years or older by April 9, 2009, when the legislative election is held, might not have identity cards yet. "But it is a reality of our country. It is not only the KPU's fault," she said.
The KPU earlier estimated the number of eligible voters could reach about 174 million people, based on population reports from the Home Affairs Ministry.
The KPU was required to update voter data three months after receiving it from the ministry in April this year.
A survey jointly conducted by the Institute of Research, Education and Information of Social and Economic Affairs (LP3ES) and the National Democratic Institute showed more than 36 million eligible voters were not included in the preliminary voter list (DPS), which the KPU released on August 8.
The survey, conducted between August 7 and 10, polled 1,537 respondents in all 33 provinces. It found 20.8 percent of those polled were not registered.
The KPU will close voter registration on August 27 and announce the final list of eligible voters in October. The KPU claims it provided the DPS to political parties.
"It seems there is public apathy to check whether voters are registered or not. We hope political parties take an active role in encouraging their constituents to register," KPU member Endang Sulastri said.
The KPU also drew mounting protests over its "inconsistency" in dealing with certain political parties.
"The KPU has failed to sanction parties that do not meet the requirement of submitting lists of legislative candidates. The KPU is spoiling them," Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) member Wahidah Suaib said.
She said the KPU should have directly rejected proposals from the Freedom Party and the Indonesia Unity Party (PSI), which submitted lists of their legislative candidates without the required documents.
Both parties submitted the names of their candidates without any documents just two days before registration of legislative candidates closed.
"The KPU violated its own policy. It is too lenient to these parties and it is setting a poor political example," Wahidah said.
Bawaslu also protested the KPU's acceptance of legislative candidate lists from rival factions of the splintered National Awakening Party (PKB).
In response, KPU member Andi claimed her office had worked within the legal constraints.
"According to election regulations, we can accept the registration of legislative candidates from parties with a dual leadership. But we will verify them based on regulations issued by the justice ministry," she said.