House urged to soon amend election law

Poll watchdog called on the House of Representatives on Monday to soon amend the 2007 election law to grant more times to the election body to prepare for the next general elections.

Executive Director of the Center for Electoral Reform (Centro) Hadar N Gumay said that the House should also modify recruitment process of the General Election Commission (KPU) members.

“If the new election law could be passed this year, the new members of the KPU would have some three years to prepare the 2014 elections,” he told reporters after a working meeting with the House’s Commission II overseeing domestic affairs.

He said that the recruitment process of the KPU members played crucial role to improve the quality of the elections from legislative, presidential and regional elections.

The 2007 law stipulates the current KPU members should end term in 2012.

Many activists have repeatedly urged the government to change the KPU members over their poor record in preparing the 2009 elections, including on controversial list of the final voters.