11 poll monitors register with accreditation body<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Eleven local election monitoring bodies
\nregistered with the accreditation committee of the General
\nElections Commission (KPU) on Monday.<\/p>\n
The KPU will take three days to check that the monitoring
\nbodies fulfilled administrative requirements before licensing
\nthem to conduct election monitoring activities.<\/p>\n
KPU chairman Rudini said that if they qualified, each poll
\nwatchdog would be allowed to observe all stages of the election,
\nbut warned them against meddling in the election process.<\/p>\n
\"Violations of the nonintervention clause will cost them their
\nlicenses,\" Rudini said.<\/p>\n
The first registered monitoring bodies included Pollwatch
\nIndonesia, Institute for Strategic Analysis (Inses), Independent
\nPoll Monitoring Network of Youth and Student Solidarity in West
\nKalimantan (JPPIS-Kalbar), Civil Advocacy Service (Case), the
\nIndependent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP), the University
\nNetwork for Free and Fair Elections (Unfrel) and Action
\nDemocratic Study Forum (Forsad).<\/p>\n
Foreign observers also will be subject to KPU accreditation.<\/p>\n
KPU will close the registration period for poll watchdogs on
\nMay 31.<\/p>\n
Rudini said no foreign observers had registered with the KPU.
\nThe United States-based Carter Center and the European Union have
\nshown interest in monitoring the June 7 general election.<\/p>\n
\"All poll monitors will be given full access to watch the vote
\ncounting at the poll center (in Jakarta). They won't be able to
\ndo the same thing at the lower administrative levels, but will
\nreceive the vote counting results,\" Rudini said.<\/p>\n
He welcomed the enthusiasm of the 11 poll monitoring bodies,
\nsaying they would help make his job easier.<\/p>\n
Pollwatch Indonesia claimed to have 20,000 volunteers who
\nwould be posted in all 27 of the country's provinces, while Inses
\nwas set to deploy 2,950 volunteers. JPPIS-Kalbar said it sought
\nto register 7,000 volunteers to monitor the polls in West
\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n
The 12,000-strong Case, meanwhile, will operate in five
\nmayoralties in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Unfrel is seeking to recruit 150,000 volunteers to be posted
\nin 23 provinces. It began its three-day course for volunteer
\ntrainers on Monday.<\/p>\n
Also on Monday, Norway provided a US$495,000 technical
\nassistance grant for Indonesia's election process through the
\nUnited Nations Development Program.<\/p>\n
Despite reports of unprepared voter registration officials
\nacross the country, Rudini expressed guarded optimism that at
\nleast 50 percent of 130 million eligible voters would turn out
\nfor the June 7 balloting.<\/p>\n
Elections committee officials will begin visiting eligible
\nvoters on Tuesday in an effort to boost voter turnout.<\/p>\n
\"Even if the number of voters is less than 50 percent, the
\npolls will go on as scheduled. It is okay to see a low turnout,
\nas long as the general election is legitimate,\" he said.<\/p>\n
KPU member Andi Mallarangeng, however, predicted that at least
\n70 percent of eligible voters would take part in the election.<\/p>\n
\"We do not set a certain target for voter turnout, but I
\nbelieve that in this new era people will be anxious to vote. They
\nunderstand their votes will decide the fate of the nation,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Andi based his estimate on a recent survey conducted by Asia
\nFoundation which revealed that 91 percent of respondents said
\nthey would vote in the election.<\/p>\n
The 53-member KPU also agreed on Monday that legislative
\ncandidates must at least be junior high school graduates.<\/p>\n
On election security, the KPU will sign an agreement with the
\nNational Police and the State Intelligence Coordinating Agency to
\nsafeguard the election process, including the printing and
\ndistribution of ballots.<\/p>\n
Around 400 million ballots for the three electoral levels will
\nbe needed for the June 7 election.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the KPU still was undecided on the allocation of
\nlegislative seats due to a lack of population data from the
\nMinistry of Home Affairs.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, political observer Cornelis Lay of Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity suggested the KPU delay the polls in troubled Aceh and
\nEast Timor, but hold the balloting as scheduled in other riot-hit
\nareas. (edt\/44)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/11-poll-monitors-register-with-accreditation-body-1447893297",
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