Candidates ready 2 million monitors<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja\/Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Candidates contending the upcoming election are moving to
\nminimize vote-rigging by fielding around two million monitors for
\nthe Sept. 20 runoff.<\/p>\n
Incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri and running mate Hasyim
\nMuzadi will face Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and partner Jusuf Kalla
\nin the direct presidential election.<\/p>\n
Megawati's campaign team member Heri Akhmadi said on Friday
\nthat his camp would field two monitors at each poll station, most
\nof whom would come from the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
There will be around 581,393 polling stations set up across
\nthe country for the election.<\/p>\n
\"We have decided to deploy two monitors at each poll station
\nwho will come from two coalition members that won in the area,\"
\nHeri said.<\/p>\n
PDI-P has signed an agreement with Golkar, Islam-based United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) to
\nsupport Megawati in the Sept. 20 election.<\/p>\n
Aside from the coalition members, the Megawati-Hasyim pair is
\nalso supported by the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the Marhaenisme
\nIndonesian Nationalist Party (PNI Marhaenisme).<\/p>\n
Under existing regulations, monitors sent by campaign teams
\nare given copies of the manual vote-count from the polling
\nstations.<\/p>\n
The monitors are also allowed to observe data entry at the
\ndistrict level. They could raise objections on how the manual
\nvote counting has proceeded. Poll workers must immediately make
\ncorrections if errors are found.<\/p>\n
In the absence of a monitor, voters could raise any objections
\nwith the head of the polling station organizers (KPPS).<\/p>\n
Heri said that the coalition would pay for any costs incurred
\nby the monitors. He did not say how much his coalition had put
\naside.<\/p>\n
He also said that the Megawati camp would also maintain its
\nown tabulation at the headquarters of both PDI-P and Golkar.<\/p>\n
\"Data from both offices will complement each other, making it
\neasier to detect any irregularities in the counting,\" Heri said.<\/p>\n
The Susilo camp also held a preparatory meeting on Friday to
\nensure that all team members were ready to monitor the election
\nto avoid possible vote manipulation.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the closed-door meeting, Kalla said that the
\nmeeting wanted to ensure that all one-million monitors already
\nassigned by their campaign teams could carry out their tasks
\nwell.<\/p>\n
Also present in the meeting were Hatta Rajasa of the National
\nMandate Party (PAN), Alwi Shihab of the National Awakening Party
\n(PKB), Hidayat Nur Wahid and Anis Matta of the Prosperous Justice
\nParty (PKS), Eddy Sudrajat of the Indonesian Justice and Unity
\nParty (PKPI), Jusril Ihza Mahendra and M.S. Ka'ban of the
\nCrescent Star Party (PBB) and former attorney general Marsillam
\nSimanjuntak.<\/p>\n
\"We have to ensure that the political machinery is working
\nwell ahead of the election day on Sept. 20,\" Kalla told the press
\nafter the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"We discussed administrative matters, including permits for
\nthe monitors,\" Kalla said, adding that they had also set up a
\nteam of lawyers to monitor the ballot counting from the first day
\nof vote counting to prevent possible manipulation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/candidates-ready-2-million-monitors-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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