KPU must be firm on repolling: KIPP<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A leading poll watch activist said on Sunday
\nthat demands to repeat the polls should be carefully examined.<\/p>\n
The official Election Supervisory Committees at the national,
\nprovincial and regional levels should closely scrutinize the
\ndemands, and decide whether repetition of polls were absolutely
\nnecessary, secretary-general of the Independent Election
\nMonitoring Committee (KIPP) Mulyana W. Kusumah said.<\/p>\n
He said demands to repeat the polls have grown stronger and
\nhave been aired in at least 46 regencies in the 12 provinces, and
\nthat more were expected.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the
\nNational Elections Committee (PPI) should not capitulate to the
\ndemands.<\/p>\n
\"KIPP calls on the KPU and PPI not to easily relax the
\nregulation to hold the polls again because this could ruin the
\nwhole electoral process,\" he said after a media conference.<\/p>\n
The North Sulawesi provincial elections committee decided to
\nrehold the polls and the Jakarta provincial elections committee
\nhas announced all ballots would be recounted.<\/p>\n
Mulyana reminded poll officials the election law stipulated
\nthat in the event that regional, provincial, and national
\nelection committees could not decide on poll results, decisions
\nwere to be taken by a higher level committee and the KPU. A
\ncommission executive said on Saturday the polls could be
\nrepeated, or ballots could be recounted if discrepancies could
\nnot be resolved.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said the law also authorized the official Election
\nSupervisory Committee to investigate the validity of reasons
\ncited by commission members, provincial and regional committee
\nmembers to refuse to sign the results within seven days of the
\npolls. The official poll watchdog should then issue a \"final and
\nbinding\" decision.<\/p>\n
\"So far KIPP is not aware whether the Supervisory Committee is
\ncarrying out its role,\" Mulyana said in a statement.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, KIPP also revealed its provisional results
\nin which Golkar was trailing second with 21.4 percent of votes of
\nwhich it had counted, leading the National Awakening Party (PKB),
\nwhich had ranked second in the vote tally in the past few days.<\/p>\n
According to KIPP's results -- in which 31.16 million or 26.45
\npercent out of some 117 million votes were counted -- PKB had 12
\npercent of the vote, while the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan) was leading with 34.5 percent of the
\nvote.<\/p>\n
As of 10:30 p.m. on Sunday KPU's website revealed PDI
\nPerjuangan so far had 13.2 million votes, followed by the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB) with 6.6 million and Golkar with
\n5.7 million votes.<\/p>\n
Golkar was leading in Central, Southeast and North Sulawesi,
\nCentral and West Kalimantan, Bengkulu, Jambi; and was second only
\nto PDI Perjuangan in South Sumatra, West Java, Yogyakarta, Bali,
\nWest and East Nusa Tenggara, and East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung promised on Sunday to take
\ndefeat gracefully, to congratulate Megawati Soekarnoputri whose
\nparty looks set to win the polls, and get ready for his party to
\nbe an \"effective opposition.\"<\/p>\n
Akbar, Antara reported, claimed his party had also built a
\n\"network\" with the United Development Party (PPP) and National
\nMandate Party (PAN) in the hope of forming a coalition.<\/p>\n
\"If Megawati becomes the next president... then Golkar will
\njoin forces with others,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"I and other Golkar executives have launched a 'silent
\noperation' approaching a number of parties (for a coalition).\"<\/p>\n
\"We are also seeking a possible coalition with other parties
\nincluding PKB... there's no differences in our ideology.\"<\/p>\n
PAN leader Amien Rais has refused to form a coalition with
\nGolkar, saying it would be a betrayal of his principles.<\/p>\n
Akbar maintained that Golkar's presidential candidate remained
\nincumbent President B.J. Habibie. Should there be a coalition, it
\nwould be possible only with parties that support Habibie, he
\nsaid. \"But with our vote earning, we'll see how far we should
\nstruggle to nominate Habibie.\"<\/p>\n
\"I am happy enough even if we win only 30 percent of the
\nvote,\" he said. \"That is proof enough that Golkar still has
\nstrong support among people, despite being disparaged by others.\"<\/p>\n
He also conceded sharp declines in Golkar's vote earning in
\nareas which are traditionally considered Golkar strongholds. \"We
\nwill study why this is so, to prepare for the 2004 poll.\"<\/p>\n
Akbar's deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman said in an interview
\naired by SCTV that the next government should be one that
\nconcentrates on national unity. He said if Megawati becomes
\npresident, reform and democratization would proceed.<\/p>\n
If Megawati did not take the presidency, the public and her
\nsupporters would find it easier to accept candidates other than
\nHabibie, he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki has since the beginning opposed Habibie's nomination,
\nand openly championed Gen. Wiranto, the commander of the
\nIndonesian Military and minister of defense.<\/p>\n
Though leading, PDI Perjuangan is not expected to garner
\nenough support to govern alone, setting the stage for weeks and
\neven months of political haggling ahead.(byg\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpu-must-be-firm-on-repolling-kipp-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}