2,926 reported poll violations to be probed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government promised yesterday to investigate
\nalmost 3,000 cases of alleged electoral law violations which
\noccurred before and during May's general election.<\/p>\n
The National Election Supervision Committee's chairman,
\nSinggih, said he had ordered provincial authorities to
\ninvestigate the claims.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party (PPP) has reported 984
\nviolations, Golkar has reported 1,572 and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) 370, according to data released yesterday
\nby the National Elections Institute.<\/p>\n
The institute said 747 of the claims were on administrative
\nviolations, 240 were on political violations and 1,912 were on
\ncriminal violations.<\/p>\n
The criminal cases include slander against President Soeharto,
\nthe burning of ballot boxes on Madura island and rioting in the
\nSouth Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin, which left 123 people
\ndead.<\/p>\n
\"We have agreed that provincial electoral committees will
\nfollow up the reports and we will monitor the progress of their
\ninvestigations,\" said Singgih, also the Attorney General, after
\nthe announcement of final election results at the National
\nElections Institute.<\/p>\n
\"As for the cases that are political and administrative in
\nnature, we will hand them over to the National Elections
\nCommittee for investigation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The elections committee's deputy chairman, Lt. Gen. Syarwan
\nHamid, said the Armed Forces was ready to ensure the safety of
\ninvestigations into the alleged breaches of electoral law.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to help the investigations without being
\nordered,\" said Syarwan, also the Armed Forces chief of
\nsociopolitical affairs.<\/p>\n
The National Elections Institute's chairman, Moch. Yogie S.M.,
\npledged that the government would investigate fairly, even if an
\nalleged violation was committed by the government-backed Golkar.<\/p>\n
\"All reports will be processed,\" said Yogie, also minister of
\nhome affairs.<\/p>\n
The Moslem-based PPP has been the most vehement protester of
\nelectoral law violations. Long before campaigning officially
\nbegan, it accused Golkar chairman Harmoko of campaigning under
\nthe guise of meeting party cadres.<\/p>\n
The PPP said that poll-rigging in this year's election was
\nworse than in past elections.<\/p>\n
PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said at a ceremony to
\nendorse the final poll results that the party would wait to see
\nhow the government handled their complaints.<\/p>\n
Ismail said the government could no longer shut its eyes to
\nthe violations. \"Things are different now,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PPP secretary-general Tosari Widjaya said that, despite the
\nparty's endorsement of final results, the party would continue to
\npursue legal action against government officials for alleged
\nelectoral fraud.<\/p>\n
PDI secretary-general Buttu R. Hutapea said this year's
\nelection was \"marred by widespread violations,\" and that the
\nparty would pursue legal action against those who had committed
\nthem.<\/p>\n
\"Our party's lawyers are studying possible lawsuits, but we'll
\nleave all these matters to our provincial chapters,\" Buttu said.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Harmoko said it had been \"a quality election\"
\nbut that violations, especially those related to riots during the
\ncampaign, should be processed according to the law.<\/p>\n
\"They are purely criminal practices that should be thoroughly
\ninvestigated,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said he did not agree with those who said that the
\nreported widespread vote-rigging had tarnished this year's
\nelection. (aan\/amd)<\/p>",
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