'NGOs needed for poll watch'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government should invite foreign non-
\ngovernmental organizations (NGOs) as well as representatives of
\nneighboring countries to observe the May 29 general election, two
\npolitical analysts said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Muladi, a law professor at the Semarang-based Diponegoro
\nUniversity, and political writer Alexander Irwan said separately
\nthe government could show the world how democratic the elections
\nwere by inviting representatives of foreign countries and
\nindependent foreign observers.<\/p>\n
The government announced last week it would only let
\nrepresentatives appointed by overseas governments observe the
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Soetoyo N.K., the director general of sociopolitical affairs
\nat the Ministry of Home Affairs, said other foreign observers
\nwould be treated as \"common tourists whom the government would
\nnot serve\".<\/p>\n
The ruling Golkar, the United Development Party and the
\nDemocratic Indonesian Party will contest 425 seats of the 500-
\nseat House of Representatives at the election. The remaining 75
\nseats are held by members of the Armed Forces, whose members do
\nnot vote.<\/p>\n
Muladi said foreign observers would encourage contestants to
\nbe more careful which would reduce cheating.<\/p>\n
But Muladi, a member of the National Commission on Human
\nRights, agreed with the government's comment that foreign
\nobservers should not make judgments according to their national
\nprejudices.<\/p>\n
Irwan said that, even if foreign NGOs were invited, they would
\nbe of little use unless the government gave them freedom to
\nobserve the elections.<\/p>\n
He said that, if foreign NGOs were given an opportunity to
\nobserve the elections, they should work together with local
\ncounterparts such as the unrecognized Independent Elections
\nMonitoring Committee.<\/p>\n
\"Observers cannot judge by observing only 10 to 20 polling
\nbooths and then conclude whether the election is democratic, can
\nthey?\" Irwan said.<\/p>\n
In their book Pemilu: Pelanggaran Asas Luber (Elections:
\nViolations of Direct, General, Free and Confidential Principles)
\n(1995), Alexander Irwan and Edriana cited at least 1,019 cases of
\nviolations of direct, general, free and confidential election
\nprinciples in the 1992 general election.<\/p>\n
Violations were mostly committed by bureaucrats, Golkar
\nmembers and security officers who had access to all election
\nstages, including ballot counting.<\/p>\n
Soetoyo said the government would not let foreigner observers
\nmove freely because their points of observation would be decided
\nin light of available government facilities. The government would
\nnot be able to facilitate foreign observers at all 300,000
\npolling booths.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Rasdi Eko Siswoyo said the government should
\nnot invite foreign observers at all.<\/p>\n
\"It only creates the impression that we have had problems in
\npast elections if we need them (foreign observers) here to
\nobserve us,\" he told The Jakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
Rasdi, the rector of Semarang Teachers Training Institute,
\nsaid Indonesia's general elections had been good quality and
\nwithout disturbance.<\/p>\n
\"The people have already recognized that elections here are
\ngood. Their participation rates have been as high as 90 percent,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said, if foreign observers were invited, the government
\nwould need to restrict their meddling.<\/p>\n
\"We have different political standards to foreigners, so they
\nwould have to pass their judgments in accordance with our
\nstandards,\" he said. (aan\/har)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-needed-for-poll-watch-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }