Namfrel notes positive features of Indonesian polls<\/p>\n
By Jamil Maidan Flores<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): They came, they saw, they were deeply impressed.<\/p>\n
That sums up the brief sojourn of the 108 volunteers of the
\nPhilippine National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), who
\ncame to observe the conducting of the June 7 general election.
\nNamfrel is the longtime watchdog organization on national
\nelections in the Philippines. Before its stint with the
\nIndonesian general election, it served in 22 other countries,
\nincluding Cambodia in 1998.<\/p>\n
So impressed are the Filipino volunteers that they want some
\nof the things they saw here adopted by the Philippines. That
\nshould sober up a bit the perpetual carnival that is Philippine
\npolitics.<\/p>\n
\"This is certainly a learning experience for us,\" said retired
\nBrig. Gen. Thelmo Cunanan, a former Philippine army commander
\ngeneral and ambassador to Cambodia who now oversees Namfrel's
\nfield operations. \"We came here to help and we also learned a
\nlot. So it has been mutually beneficial.\"<\/p>\n
Namfrel volunteers praise the Indonesian voting centers --
\nvirtually open areas where everyone can see what is going on --
\nas practical, sensible and worthy of consideration for adoption
\nelsewhere. They make the process a great deal more transparent.<\/p>\n
In the Philippines, voting almost invariably takes place in a
\nclassroom in a schoolhouse temporarily converted into an election
\nprecinct. What takes place inside the room cannot be observed by
\nthose outside, allowing more opportunity for those who would
\nengage in intimidation or hanky-panky.<\/p>\n
Namfrel volunteers also observed that Indonesian ballots are
\nsigned by three election officials at the polling center. This
\nprocedure makes it more difficult for would-be cheaters to make a
\nswitch of ballot boxes. In the Philippines, only the registry
\nbook is signed by the election officials. In the event of a
\nswitch, there are no signatures that can be examined to tell the
\ngenuine ballots from the fake.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the election registry card can be used only once
\nin the election for which the card is issued. The card is
\nsurrendered at the voting precinct, where officials make sure it
\nis genuine before allowing the bearer to vote. In the
\nPhilippines, the registry card can be used in succeeding
\nelections, with the possibility of one person's card being used
\nby another. It is how the dead have \"voted\" in several Philippine
\nelections.<\/p>\n
The gem of wisdom in the Indonesian election process,
\naccording to Gen. Cunanan, is the cooling-off period, in this
\ncase the 48 hours before the vote, but in previous elections the
\nweek when campaigning was banned before election day. During the
\nperiod, the intensity of the campaign charges and counter-charges
\nare expected to simmer down.<\/p>\n
Thus, when the time comes for the voter to make a choice, he
\nis calm and well disposed to listen to the voice of his
\nconscience. In the Philippines, the period is limited to 24
\nhours, not enough time, after a campaign where personal insults
\nare mixed with political argument, to freeze the urge to kill.<\/p>\n
Another pleasant surprise is that during the cooling-off
\nperiod here all posters, leaflets and other promotional materials
\nsimply vanish in a cleanup that is remarkable for its
\nthoroughness. In the Philippines, the country is still flooded
\nwith leaflets on election day and sample ballots are allowed in
\nthe polling places. In many areas, campaign posters remain in
\nplace for months after the elections.<\/p>\n
Namfrel volunteers cite another positive aspect that security
\npersonnel are uniformed but unarmed at Indonesian polling
\nprecincts. In the Philippines, unarmed precinct guards would be
\neasy meat for the armament-toting private armies of political
\nwarlords. \"But the presence of armed men at the polling station,
\nwhether they belong to the government or not, is not at all
\nreassuring either,\" said Gen. Cunanan.<\/p>\n
The many positives of the Indonesian electoral process are
\npossible, he added, because of the tremendous discipline of
\nIndonesian voters. They come out early on election day; before
\nthe polling station opens, they are already beginning to line up.
\nThere is no pushing because they follow the rules. When an
\nobjection is raised, polite consultation ensues and the matter is
\nsettled right there and then. In contrast, many Filipino voters
\nwait for the last possible moment before flying off to the
\npolling place where in the rush they try to take shortcuts. That
\ncan lead to shrill arguments that escalate to slanging matches;
\nbefore the end of the day the matter is being argued before a
\njudge, in the press or, worse, at some barricade.<\/p>\n
Namfrel is not certifying that the June 7 elections have been
\nabsolutely perfect. Indonesian poll officials are not that
\nfamiliar with the indelible ink device; in at least two instances
\nthat the volunteers witnessed, the indelible ink turned out to be
\nvery rinsable. But these incidents were too few to matter. More
\nimportantly, Namfrel observed no cases of intimidation (Namfrel
\nsent its observers to those parts of Indonesia where the greatest
\nnumbers of observers are concentrated).<\/p>\n
Namfrel came to Indonesia because the Indonesian government
\nadopted a policy of welcoming foreign observers, to show the
\nworld that it is capable of a truly democratic political
\nexercise. Earlier, an Indonesian Rectors Forum went to Manila and
\nexchanged views with Namfrel and Philippine election authorities.<\/p>\n
With its vast international experience and its track record of
\nfoiling highly sophisticated attempts at cheating in the
\nPhilippines, Namfrel felt that it could help. \"The Philippines
\nand all the countries of the region have a stake in the political
\nstability of Indonesia,\" said Jose Concepcion Jr., the former
\nPhilippine trade minister who serves as Namfrel chairman. He
\nquotes ASEAN Vision 2020 as the rationale for Namfrel's presence
\nin Indonesia.<\/p>\n
How, he added, can you create a community of caring societies
\nin Southeast Asia to solve all the problems of development
\nwithout empowering the people? Elections are all about empowering
\nthe people.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, Indonesia did the Philippines a big favor when it
\nfacilitated the peace talks between the Philippine government and
\nthe MNLF. We should try to return the favor somehow.\"<\/p>\n
Namfrel volunteers were welcomed with open arms everywhere
\nthey went, by the authorities and by the man in the street, who
\nwent out of their way to help them get their mission done. That
\nhas been the first pleasant surprise: too many CNN and BBC clips
\ncreated the impression that Indonesians are embittered and riot-
\nprone. The volunteers found out that Indonesians not only look
\nlike Filipinos, they also behave just like Filipinos in
\ndemonstrating hospitality by plying their guests with food.
\nInstructed to avoid trouble spots, the grateful volunteers say
\nthe biggest hazard they had to contend with in the field was an
\nunwanted gain in weight.<\/p>\n
Concepcion believes his organization will become part of a
\nstrong regional network of non-governmental organizations working
\nfor the empowerment of people so that they can take their destiny
\ninto their own hands. Gen. Cunanan said Namfrel will be more than
\nglad if tapped by UNAMET for a stint in East Timor in August.<\/p>\n
No one in Namfrel is saying that Indonesia is already out of
\nthe political woods. At this time and even in the months ahead,
\nthe elections can still be stolen from the Indonesian voter. But
\none thing is clear: the average Indonesian voter knows how sacred
\nis the act of suffrage. If only for that he deserves good elected
\nleaders, a democracy. And if the elections turn out to be
\nsuccessful, much of it should be credited to his immense social
\ndiscipline.<\/p>\n
The writer, based in Jakarta, is an observer of Philippine and
\nSoutheast Asian politics.<\/p>",
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