Independent team needed to assess election: Lopa<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights
\nproposed yesterday that an independent team be set up to assess
\nthe May 29 general election.<\/p>\n
Commission Secretary-General Baharuddin Lopa said in a seminar
\non Elections, Human Rights and Laws that results of the study
\ncould be used to improve electoral laws.<\/p>\n
Lopa said the team was needed, especially because of the
\nwidespread poll-rigging alleged by the United Development Party
\n(PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
\"The team would greatly help improve electoral laws. The
\nalleged rigging has underlined the need to improve the law,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The PPP and PDI have repeatedly demanded that the 1985
\nElection Law be revised, saying that it is \"undemocratic\" and
\nfavors the government-backed Golkar party.<\/p>\n
The two parties demanded that all three parties be allowed to
\nhelp run the general election. Under current law, the election is
\norganized by the government.<\/p>\n
In an apparent bid to attract more voters, the PPP had
\nproposed a bill to revise this law before the May 29 election.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's seminar at Tjokroaminoto University also featured
\nDahlan Thaib from the Indonesian Islamic University and Zulkifli
\nHalim of Tjokroaminoto University.<\/p>\n
Lopa said the proposed team should include party
\nrepresentatives, academics and intellectuals.<\/p>\n
\"If the study is conducted by the government, who will believe
\nits results?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lopa said political parties should be free to choose their own
\nlegislative candidates and free to air their ideas so that
\ndemocracy could grow.<\/p>\n
On the last election, Lopa said that all three parties should
\nfulfill their election promises to eradicate corruption and
\ncollusion in the bureaucracy if they did not want to lose the
\npeople's trust.<\/p>\n
\"People cannot wait for them to fulfill the promises,\" he
\nsaid. \"Campaigners made big promises and it would be a big sin
\nnot to fulfill them.\"<\/p>\n
Lopa said he was wondering whether the campaigners realized
\nthat eradicating corruption was not easy, as many people
\nimagined.<\/p>\n
\"I have spent 30 years working hard on it. It's truly a tough
\njob,\" said Lopa, a former director general for correctional
\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
Other big promises that people want to see fulfilled are free
\neducation, creation of employment and empowerment of small
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
\"It would be great if the political parties could fulfill
\ntheir promises and miserable if they could not,\" he said.
\n(23\/pan)<\/p>",
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