Government vows fair play in coming elections<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government has pledged to be fair and
\nrefrain from dominating the upcoming elections although its five
\nmembers on the National Election Committee will have equal voting
\nrights compared to at least dozens of party representatives.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid gave the assurance
\nTuesday at a hearing with the House of Representatives'
\nCommission on law and home and foreign political affairs.<\/p>\n
\"The government in principle will function as a facilitator
\nin support of the election committee in running the election
\nfairly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He was responding to legislators' questions on the role of the
\ngovernment in the National Election Committee.<\/p>\n
Legislators have just completed months of deliberations on the
\npolitical laws passed on Feb.1 including that on the elections
\nbut detailed directives on the committee are yet to be completed.<\/p>\n
The law states that the Committee is comprised of one
\nrepresentative of each political party and five government
\nrepresentatives. \"The voting right of the government and
\nrepresentatives of political parties... will be equal,\" the law
\nsays.<\/p>\n
As of Tuesday the Ministry of Justice said 17 out of 49
\nparties which have registered meet requirements. The total figure
\nof parties which have been set up since last May is between 140
\nand 230 while registration lasts until Feb. 21.<\/p>\n
\"The government representatives in the committee will be fair
\nand cooperative and will not abuse their power to give political
\nadvantage to a particular contesting party,\" Syarwan said Monday
\nin a discussion on political laws held by the Indonesian
\nJournalists' Association. He said the provision balancing voting
\nrights of the government with those of the parties was intended
\nto ensure the elections run in line with the law.<\/p>\n
The election committee will start work March 1, when the
\ngovernment-run National Election Institution will be disbanded
\npermanently.<\/p>\n
The process of selecting eligible parties has been entrusted
\nto the independent 11-member team of respected figures led by
\nnoted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid.<\/p>\n
Syarwan also said that his ministry was helping the team make
\naround 80 directives that will regulate the election committee.
\nTeam member Mulyana W. Kusumah said last week that the team was
\ncomposing directives for the 87 chapters in the new laws on
\npolitical parties and on general elections.<\/p>\n
He also urged Monday that parties send cooperative
\nrepresentatives to sit on the election committee.<\/p>\n
\"Flexible and cooperative individuals will be needed on the
\ncommittee to prevent friction and conflict,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He reiterated the government would not allow its
\nrepresentatives to occupy the top committee post and this would
\nbe better entrusted to a representative of the contending
\nparties.<\/p>\n
In previous elections the minister headed the election
\ncommittee and his subordinates occupied the lower levels of the
\ncommittee, prompting criticism because all officials were members
\nof the Golkar ruling group.<\/p>\n
To prevent multiple voting on polling day slated for June 7
\nthis year, the government has ordered quality ink from India in
\nwhich voters would have a finger dipped. The ink would disappear
\nonly after 10 days, he said.<\/p>\n
Election monitoring activists reported multiple voting among
\nvarious violations in the 1997 polls in which Golkar gained a
\nsweeping victory. (rms\/01)<\/p>",
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