Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) on Saturday declared the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) ineligible for the 2019 General Election.

At a plenary meeting on Saturday in Central Jakarta, the KPU announced that the PBB failed to fulfil the requirement to meet a minimum 75 percent of office representation in South Manokwari Regency, West Papua, while the PKPI failed to have offices that cover 75 percent of areas in West Java and Central Java.

Both parties said they would appeal against the decision to the Elections Supervisory Agency.

The PBB's General Secretary Afriansyah Noor cited religion as one of the biggest challenges the Muslim party had faced in predominantly Christian South Manokwari.

"We actually have eight representatives in a rural area in South Manokwari, but they failed to attend the regional verification assessment. That's why they were not identified by the regional KPU," he said.

Ashari Ali Agus, PKPI head of legislator empowerment, said he believed there was a misunderstanding between the party and the Commission. "We came here and were assured that there was nothing wrong. We are going to further investigate this matter," he said. (gis/swd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/02/17/pbb-pkpi-ineligible-for-2019-elections-kpu.html