Cheating said to be rampant in Mentawai<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Poll watchers said on Tuesday the elections had
\nbeen generally free of intimidation, but demanded the polls be
\nrepeated in at least one province.<\/p>\n
The Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) in West
\nSumatra said cheating had been rampant in the Mentawai islands,
\nabout 90 kilometers to the east of the capital, Padang.<\/p>\n
KIPP's provincial secretary-general Akhmad Khoiruddin Tambusai
\nsaid observations from 82 volunteers revealed \"widespread
\nmanipulation by the Padang Pariaman and West Sumatra election
\ncommittees. To respect the political rights of the Mentawai
\npeople the polls must be repeated there.\"<\/p>\n
Akhmad said dead persons' names were listed as voters on
\nregistration lists.<\/p>\n
A political party cadre working at a polling place reported to
\npolice that 3,000 ballot papers and a ballot box had been removed
\nby an official from South Siberut district, before the poll began
\nin Simatalu village.<\/p>\n
KIPP coordinator in Mentawai, Sondang Paruhun Simanjuntak,
\nsaid many people in the islands were not even aware of the polls.<\/p>\n
Akhmad said reports from Mentawai were received by phone,
\nbecause the only facsimile was in continuous use by the military.<\/p>\n
Provincial elections committee chairman Adi Bermasa said the
\ncommittee would \"seriously study\" KIPP's demand that the polls be
\nrepeated. But he denied allegations that officials had not worked
\nhard to make a success of the polls.<\/p>\n
\"We all know their difficulties of working on the remote
\nislands,\" he said. Sondang said volunteers had to travel on foot
\nfor two days and two nights after speed boats transported them to
\nthe islets.<\/p>\n
From Medan, North Sumatra, it was reported that a Golkar
\noffice in Padang Bulan district was used as a polling place. KIPP
\nsecretary-general Effendi Panjaitan charged that this factor
\ncontributed to Golkar's victory in the area dominated by
\nsupporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan).<\/p>\n
The KIPP office in Medan has recorded 105 violations in the
\nvote process, from a lack of ballot papers to the use of invalid
\nballot papers.<\/p>\n
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, the KIPP chapter reported 300
\nviolations. Coordinator Nasiruddin Pasigai said voters
\nparticipated \"with freedom from fear of intimidation, so the poll
\nprocess has indicated respect for democratic values\".<\/p>\n
\"Political\" and legal violations were caused by the \"inability
\nof officials to adjust themselves to current changes,\" said
\nNasiruddin. He said he hoped all reported violations would be
\nfollowed up \"to ensure the growth of public trust\".<\/p>\n
From Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara, the private LP3ES team
\nreported five instances of more than one voter's presence in
\npolling booths. The presence of two people at the same time is
\nonly allowed for disabled voters. Two voters were observed by the
\nteam in one booth at Jembatan Kembar village, Lembar district in
\nWest Lombok, but committee officials ignored the violation.<\/p>\n
The team under the respected Jakarta-based research body is
\ninvestigating reports of distribution of staple foods by several
\npolitical parties before Monday's polls in Dasan Agung
\nsubdistrict, Mataram.<\/p>\n
Voters under the legal minimum age of 17 were discovered in
\nPrapen subdistrict, Praya district, Central Lombok. The
\nprovincial elections committee also uncovered incidents of ballot
\npapers being pierced before Monday at Monggonao kampong in the
\ntown of Raba, Bima regency. The official supervisory election
\ncommittee also found ballot papers with arrows pointing to number
\n33 -- Golkar's number -- in Bolo district in Bima regency.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Unfrel also said there were a \"significant number
\nof under-age voters\" in East Java, especially among attendees of
\npesantren (traditional Muslim boarding schools). On Monday,
\nUnfrel reported that 30,000 ballot papers were punched before the
\npoll began.<\/p>\n
Unfrel's national coordinator Todung Mulya Lubis said despite
\nthe poll failings, so far \"our reports suggest that 82 percent of
\nour monitors believe the final (results) would be a reflection of
\nthe votes cast.\" Conditions were much better than the 1997 poll
\ndespite slow results, he added.<\/p>\n
Poll watch volunteers from Gadjah Mada University reported
\nthat voters were forced to sign ballot papers in Hargobinangun
\nvillage in Pakem district, Sleman regency. Protests were ignored,
\nwith up to 70 percent of voters' preferences known to polling
\nplace officials.<\/p>\n
KIPP has reported 115 violations from Greater Jakarta alone.
\n(28\/39\/30\/40\/49\/swa\/anr)<\/p>",
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