Australian govt not worried by slow vote count: Downer<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE (Reuters): Australia said it saw nothing wrong with
\nthe slow vote count in Indonesia's first democratic elections in
\n44 years.<\/p>\n
\"We have been delighted with the conduct of the Indonesian
\nelections,\" Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer said on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
\"The results are taking a while to come through but that was
\nto be expected,\" Downer told reporters in Auckland after holding
\ntalks with his New Zealand counterpart Don McKinnon.<\/p>\n
By Sunday, six days after Indonesians voted, only a quarter of
\nthe votes had been counted, and officials did not expect the
\nfinal result to be known until June 21.<\/p>\n
The tardy counting has sparked allegations of fraud in the
\narchipelago, spoiling what turned out to be a relatively peaceful
\ncampaign in the world's fourth most populous nation.<\/p>\n
But Australia saw no foul play in the wake of the poll held by
\nits nearest Asian neighbor.<\/p>\n
\"But we don't think that the slow pace of the counting is
\nanything but to be expected in a circumstance like this, and it's
\nworth making the point that when the Philippines had their first
\ndemocratic elections it was the same thing,\" Downer said,
\naccording to a transcript of the news conference.<\/p>\n
As of Sunday, Megawati Soekarnoputri's opposition Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) was leading in the
\ncount with close to 40 percent support.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said people
\nshould stop complaining about the slow vote count in Indonesia
\nand instead applaud a victory for democracy.<\/p>\n
Howard said it was important to keep a sense of perspective
\ngiven that Indonesia had 211 million people grappling with their
\nfirst taste of unfamiliar freedoms.<\/p>\n
\"I think it's remarkable, and instead of people whinging about
\nit being slow, why don't they applaud the fact that after 40
\nyears of a pretty authoritarian government, a very authoritarian
\ngovernment, we now have democracy, or the beginnings of
\ndemocracy, in Indonesia,\" he told ABC radio.<\/p>\n
\"Imperfect though it may be, slow though it may be, it will be
\na huge achievement because the whole campaign was conducted with
\nvery little violence.\"<\/p>\n
Howard said the elections were a credit to the Indonesian
\npeople and Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"He was the man who brought this about and he deserves credit
\nwhatever the outcome and whatever his political future may be,\"
\nHoward said.<\/p>\n
The General Election Commission said the count could be
\ncompleted by June 21, but it will not be the final official one,
\nwhich will only be announced on July 8.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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