Analysts express doubts about KPU's credibility<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Fears of conflict of interest within the General
\nElections Commission (KPU) and the likely domination of lower
\nlevel state officials during the electoral process were raised in
\na discussion on the KPU's credibility here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Satya Arinanto, secretary of the Election Supervisory
\nCommittee (PPI), mentioned the possibility of conflicting
\ninterests among KPU members, saying they could be overly
\ninfluenced by statements given by their party leaders rather than
\ntrying to work together to ensure clean and fair elections.<\/p>\n
The 53 members include representatives of 48 parties
\ncontesting the June 7 polls. Most of them are not leaders of
\ntheir parties.<\/p>\n
\"Some party leaders, for instance, may support massive rallies
\nduring the campaign and others are opposed to this idea. The same
\nthing goes for KPU's controversial ruling against Cabinet
\nministers campaigning,\" Satya, who teaches law, said at a session
\nto discuss KPU's credibility.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar and the PPP (United Development Party), for instance,
\nwill try everything to get ministers to be permitted to campaign.
\nKPU must be ready to deal with such matters... because further
\nconflicts will continue to emerge,\" Satya said.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung is the Golkar chairman
\nwhile State Minister of Investment Hamzah Haz chairs PPP. Most
\nCabinet ministers are Golkar executives.<\/p>\n
While the KPU has ruled against parties using state officials,
\nincluding ministers, in their election drives, it earlier ruled
\nthat KPU members were allowed to campaign. Satya said it would be
\nimpossible for them to act as \"referees\" and \"players\" at the
\nsame time, which would raise questions of their credibility.<\/p>\n
\"To prove its credibility, KPU must prove it is transparent
\nand clean on issues such as budgeting,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I urge KPU members not to think only about salaries and
\nbenefits.<\/p>\n
\"They also want to plan their own budget allocations ... that
\nmust worry the UNDP (United Nations Development Program),\" he
\nadded, referring to suggestions that the funds could be used for
\nparty interests.<\/p>\n
The UNDP is providing financial aid for the technical side of
\nthe elections, but precise areas to be supported by donations
\nfrom several foreign countries are yet to be decided.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, political lecturer Valina Singka Subekti said
\nKPU must make sure its regulations cover the lower levels of the
\nelection process, because of the lack of control over the buying
\nof votes and other unlawful practices.<\/p>\n
\"Provincial Elections Committees and Regional Elections
\nCommittees are likely to be dominated by government officials,\"
\nshe said. This is because they were part of the established
\nadministrative structure, the \"political machine\" which favors
\nGolkar, Valina, also the director of the school of politics at
\nthe University of Indonesia, said.<\/p>\n
Professor of politics Maswadi Rauf supported the view that the
\ncampaigning and ballot counting in regencies and subdistricts,
\nparticularly in rural areas, had to be watched for dishonest
\npractices.<\/p>\n
He said these areas, which are especially vulnerable to
\ncheating, have to be covered in the KPU code of conduct, which
\nthe it failed to complete by Thursday, as scheduled.<\/p>\n
\"All possible kinds of malfeasance, from money politics to
\nblackmail, will happen in the campaigning period,\" Maswadi said.
\n(edt)<\/p>",
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