More officials join debate on foreign observers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is slowly revealing its agenda
\nfor the foreign observers who will be invited to monitor the May
\n29 general election, with more officials announcing what the
\nforeigners will and will not be allowed to do.<\/p>\n
Days after the General Elections Institute announced last week
\nthat foreign observers would be barred from investigating alleged
\nviolations or passing judgment on them, Attorney General Singgih
\nsaid yesterday that the foreigners should not try and supervise
\nany stages of the general election.<\/p>\n
Singgih, who is also chairman of the Election Supervision
\nCommittee, said yesterday that Indonesian laws regulate the exact
\nnature of foreign observers' role in a general election.<\/p>\n
"They must not supervise, investigate, much less interrogate,"
\nSinggih said.<\/p>\n
Only the official supervisors would have the right, for
\ninstance, to enter the cordoned off areas containing the polling
\nbooths and check forms, he said, implying that the foreign
\nobservers would be barred from doing so.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M., in a surprising
\nmove, announced last week that foreign observers would be allowed
\nto monitor all stages of the May 29 election.<\/p>\n
Analysts concerned about possible vote-rigging and
\nmanipulation responded positively to the original announcement,
\ndespite there being no clear information as to who would be
\ninvited or what their itinerary would be.<\/p>\n
Another high-ranking official differentiated foreign observers
\nfrom foreign supervisors. Minister of Transmigration Siswono
\nYudohusodo said in Semarang yesterday that Indonesia did not need
\nforeigners to monitor the country's elections.<\/p>\n
"We are capable of monitoring ourselves. The general elections
\nwe have conducted in the past went well. We don't need foreign
\nsupervisors."<\/p>\n
He said that the Indonesians needed to see for themselves that
\nthe general election was safe, smooth and free from disturbances.
\n"By inviting foreign supervisors, it's as if we have suspicious
\naspects to our general election.<\/p>\n
"By inviting foreign supervisors, we are giving the impression
\nthat our past elections were rife with manipulation, while they
\nwere not. Besides, what if the foreigners then conduct
\ninvestigations and meddle in the voting. It's not good at all.<\/p>\n
"Foreign observers are welcome. But not supervisors. Observers
\nare okay because our country has been observed by other countries
\nalready. There are plenty of foreign journalists working freely
\nhere, and they can be considered foreign observers, too. This is
\nan open country," he said.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Soehardjo S.S. of the Semarang-based
\nDiponegoro University objected to the plan to invite foreign
\nobservers. "What do they know? They could only be familiar with
\ngeneral elections in their own country. Our country is different
\nfrom theirs," he said.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia already has laws that guide the general
\nelections, and that as long as its people follow the laws, they
\ndo not need foreign supervisors.<\/p>\n
"We are a mature nation already and we can supervise
\nourselves. Besides, the general elections have now become a
\nsource of entertainment for our people," he said. (swe\/05\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-officials-join-debate-on-foreign-observers-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}