MK CHIEF: UPCOMING POLLS HOLD GREAT CONFLICT POTENTIAL

Jakarta, Feb. 14 (ANTARA) - Constitutional Court (MK) Chairman Moh Mahfud MD has said the upcoming general elections have a great potential to trigger conflicts.

"The possibility of conflicts erupting during the general elections this time is quite big," Mahfud MD said here on Friday at a meeting on how to settle disputes caused by differences in vote tally results with representatives of regional general election commissions (KPUDs) from throughout Indonesia.
The parliamentary threshold was among the issues which might trigger conflicts, he said. The legal stipulation that a party's ability to win at least 2.5 percent of the available parliamentary seats was required to be represented in the legislature could become a very sensitive matter and lead to tricky problems , especially for KPU personnel in the regions, he said.
Mahfud told the 400 KPUD representatives attending the meeting to be very careful.
"Be careful, because these disputes could happen," he said.
He urged KPU personnel to use their conscience and uphold their integrity when making decisions on the results of the general elections.
Indonesia will hold a legislative general elections in April 2009, and the public campaign will run from 16 March to 5 April 2009.
The first round of the presidential elections will be held in July 2009, and the second round of the presidential elections in September 2009.