NEW ELECTION COMMISSION CHIEF READY FOR 2017 REGIONAL ELECTIONS by Fardahh

Jakarta, July 21, 2016 (Antara)- The demise of the General Election Commission (KPU) Chairman Husni Kamil Manik shocked the nation, but the government has wasted no time in appointing a new chief as the simultaneous regional head elections are approaching.        
     Manik, who was 41 years of age, died at the Pertamina Central Hospital in South Jakarta on July 7 while undergoing treatment for an infection that had spread across his body and had affected some of his vital organs. 
     KPU Commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay informed Antara on the evening of Manik's death, that the KPU chief had, so far, showed no signs of suffering from any other illnesses or deteriorating health.

         President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) extended his condolences following the demise of Manik.

         Jokowi hailed Manik for having efficiently carried out his tasks as the KPU chairman.

         Manik was humble and a hard worker and had high integrity, the president recalled.

          On July 12, the KPU named Hadar Nafis Gumay as the acting chairman until a permanent one was appointed.

          On the occasion, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo vowed that the preparations for holding the regional elections in 2017 would not be affected due to Manik's death.

          "I think there will be no problem. The KPU has worked effectively under the leadership of Manik. The government will be able to work together with whoever is chosen to take his position from among the other commissioners," he pointed out.

          Kumolo remarked that the government would refer the matter of electing a permanent chairman of the KPU to its commissioners as based on the law on general elections, the chairman and deputy chairman of the KPU are elected democratically by the members of Commission at a plenary session.

          On July 18, the KPU had announced that Juri Ardiantoro, one of its commissioners, was appointed as new chairman to succeed Manik.

          Ardiantoro was elected through a consensus during a closed-door plenary meeting at the KPU office. The plenary meeting was attended by five commissioners of the KPU --- Sigit Pamungkas, Ida Budhiati, Arief Budiman, Ferry Kurnia Rizkyansyah, and Juri Ardiantoro --- among others.

          Chairman of the Jakarta KPU for the 2008-2013 period and a graduate of the Malaya University in Malaysia, Ardiantoro will chair the national KPU for eight months, which is Manik's remaining tenure.

          He has urged all commissioners and other officials of the body to maintain unity.

          "Internally, I request the commissioners and secretary general to continue to make steady efforts similar to what they had undertaken during the term of Manik," Ardiantoro stated after being appointed as the new KPU chairman to succeed Manik, here, Monday evening.

          Ardiantoro also encouraged them to work effectively as only eight months were left for the tenure of the current KPU leadership to end.

          The KPU chairman's appointment was not something unusual as the Commission's leadership was following a collegiality collective system, Ardiantoro added.

          Following the successful implementation of Indonesia's first simultaneous and direct regional head elections (Pilkada) last year, the nation is hoping to hold a smooth and peaceful second Pilkada scheduled on February 15, 2017.

         At least 101 provinces, districts and cities including Jakarta, will hold Pilkada in February.

          They include seven provinces that will select governors and deputy governors, notably in Aceh Darussalam, Bangka Belitung, Banten, and Jakarta Capital City Special Region, in addition to West Sulawesi, Gorontalo and West Papua.

           Besides, 76 districts will elect district heads and deputies, and 18 cities will elect mayors and deputy mayors. 
     Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation after China, India and the United States, has so far demonstrated mature democratic values with the country holding its first direct general election in 2004 that was conducted peacefully and smoothly.

          Several people were initially worried that the first Pilkada which took place on December 9, 2015, would be chaotic and prone to conflicts as the elections involved hundreds of candidates in so many regions. However, it turned out to be well managed.

           The 810 pairs of regional head candidates, including 122 incumbents, contesting for the posts of eight governors and vice governors, 222 district heads and their deputies, and 34 mayors and their deputies.

         Some 100,461,890 Indonesians comprising 50,297,463 men and 50,164,427 women were eligible as voters in the 2015 Pilkada, according to data of the KPU.  
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 21-07-2016 14:23:31