Independent KPU assures good governance: Observers<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia requires an independent elections commission to
\npromote good governance and prevent money politics, members of
\nthe International Electoral Management Bodies said during a
\nseminar here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Visiting members of the international organization said an
\nindependent elections commission should not include a role for
\nthe government because that would create conflicts of interest.
\nThey also said monoloyalty to the commission was the norm among
\nits members.<\/p>\n
The speakers at the seminar were members or former members of
\ngeneral elections commissions in their home countries. Gothom
\nArya of Thailand, Jose Woldenberg of Mexico, Brigalia Bam of
\nSouth Africa and T.S. Trishnamurty of India were invited to share
\ntheir experiences during the seminar, jointly organized by the
\nCentre for Strategic International Studies and the International
\nInstitute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.<\/p>\n
"In my country, up until 1988 the government was responsible
\nfor the running of general elections. But since we found some
\nviolations, including against the principle of impartiality, had
\ntaken place, we established a fully independent commission in
\n1999," Woldenberg said.<\/p>\n
Brigalia Bam said the entire recruitment process for the
\nelection commission members in South Africa was conducted by the
\ncommission to maintain its freedom from the interests of
\npolitical parties and the government.<\/p>\n
"We ourselves interview the candidates for the commission. We
\ndetermine the recruitment system and choose who fits the seats in
\nthe commission.<\/p>\n
"Our people do not believe that government officials or
\nministers can organize general elections without losing their
\nloyalty to the ruling party," Bam said.<\/p>\n
There has been much debate in the House of Representatives
\nover the government's intention to maintain the tradition of
\nappointing the secretary-general of the General Elections
\nCommission (KPU). The House has unanimously agreed to keep the
\ngovernment out of the commission.<\/p>\n
Observers have expressed fear that the government's
\ninvolvement in the KPU will cost the commission its independence.<\/p>\n
The 17 members of the commission were selected by the House.<\/p>\n
The KPU is widely regarded as powerless since it failed to
\nbring to court violations committed during the 1999 general
\nelection, despite accounts from the public that almost all of the
\npolitical parties contesting the elections committed offenses.<\/p>\n
The current electoral law threatens punishments ranging from a
\nban on contesting the next elections to the dissolution of
\nparties for violations. The House is debating a new bill to
\nreplace the 1999 electoral law.<\/p>\n
A group of non-governmental organizations and minor parties
\nfiled with the Supreme Court last year their accounts of
\nviolations committed by the Golkar Party during the least
\nelections. The legal action, however, failed.<\/p>\n
"In my country, there is a constitutional court which has the
\nauthority to try election violations and decide penalties for
\nerrant parties," Gothom said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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