Muninggar Sri Saraswati – Former Finance Minister Rizal Ramli has demanded that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono replace all seven members of the General Elections Commission for failing to act independently.

His claims repeat those of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, which has alleged that the embattled commission, or KPU, favors Yudhoyono's Democratic Party and Vice President Jusuf Kalla's Golkar Party.

Ramli, who has previously compared Yudhoyono to former dictator Suharto and has called his status as a suspect for allegedly organizing an antigovernment protest that ended in violence "politically motivated," was speaking after a meeting with PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Ramli, who has aspirations for the presidency, has placed himself firmly in the opposition camp led by Megawati and including the Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra, headed by Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo Subianto, and the People's Conscience Party, or Hanura, headed by Gen. (ret.) Wiranto, aligning themselves against the incumbent president.

Also meeting with Megawati on Tuesday was former Home Affairs Minister Ryaas Rasyid who, like Ramli, said his discussions with the former president centered on the appalling state of the final voters list, which has been heavily criticized by observers as having failed to include numerous eligible voters while containing the names of the deceased, underage voters and even people not yet born.

On Tuesday, Ramli and other figures, including presidential hopefuls Wiranto and Prabowo, issued a statement criticizing the organization of the legislative elections, alleging possible fraud and questioning the independence of the KPU.

Ryaas also said that the final voters list was a very serious issue that needed to be thoroughly investigated.

"This cannot be settled simply by saying, 'Fine, we will fix the list for the presidential election.' This case must be settled," he said. "We should seek those who are responsible for it and the damage that has been done."

Ryaas reiterated that the problems involving the final voters list "were not natural."

Meanwhile, PDI-P secretary general Pramono Anung said that his party had instructed its branches in the regions to monitor the drawing up of temporary voters lists for the presidential election in July.

"We have instructed the branches to set up posts to receive complaints about the voters lists," he said. "Hopefully, the irregularities will not happen again in July."

Pramono said his party would hold a national working meeting next week aimed at naming Megawati's running mate. Among the potential candidates are Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Akbar Tandjung and Surya Paloh from the Golkar Party, Prabowo and Hidayat Nur Wahid from the Prosperous Justice Party, or PKS.