By Xinhua,
Jakarta : The General Election Commission (KPU) of Indonesia said here Wednesday that the KPU was planning to change the election date from April 5 to either April 8 or 9, 2009.
The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have left the schedule of next year’s general election to KPU to decide, KPU chairman Hafiz Anshari said.
Earlier, the KPU had decided at a plenary meeting to conduct the general election on Sunday, April 5, 2009, but several parties had raised objections to the date and asked for a change.
According to Hafiz, the objections were discussed with the House Commission II and the government, and the discussion ended with their agreement to leave the poll’s schedule fully to the KPU to decide.
Some 51 political parties have passed verification tests to join next year’s general election, General Election Commission (KPU) chairman Hafiz Anshari said earlier.
The task of holding elections in the sprawling archipelago is huge and massive, but before that the commission must deal with another daunting task of selecting eligible parties in the race for the 550-member House of Representatives and regional legislative councils.
To join the parliamentary election, a party must have provincial chapters in at least two-thirds of Indonesia’s 33 provinces, and branch offices in at least two-thirds of cities/ districts in those provinces, with minimum membership of 1,000 in every district.
The legislative election will open door to the biggest political event: the presidential election, presumably in July 2009. Only parties with at least 3 percent of the House seats can nominate their own presidential candidates.