Observers cautious over election monitoring plan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers hailed Saturday the government's plan
\nto invite foreigners to observe the May 29 polls, but said the
\nmove did not guarantee a fair general election.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Budyatna, dean of the state-run University of
\nIndonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences, said
\nSaturday the government should go further and let all three
\npolitical groups control the flow of tallied ballots from the
\npolling booths up to the national election committee.<\/p>\n
\"The transparency would help the government and the ruling
\nparty Golkar dispel any suspicion of cheating,\" Budyatna said.<\/p>\n
The government-backed Golkar, seeking a sixth straight victory
\nin May's election, will compete with the minority United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI).<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs and chairman of the General Election
\nInstitute Moch. Yogie S.M. said Friday a number of observers from
\nneighboring and foreign countries would be invited to monitor the
\npolls.<\/p>\n
Many believed the decision was taken to appease the minority
\nparties, who have repeatedly cried foul play in previous
\nelections.<\/p>\n
PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir said that the absence of poll
\ncontestant representatives during ballot counting by election
\ncommittees in government offices had encouraged cheating in the
\npast.<\/p>\n
Jusuf gave an example of how this could happen: \"Nobody knows
\nwhat's going on when subdistrict officials recheck the ballot
\nboxes.\"<\/p>\n
He welcomed the government's decision to invite foreigners,
\nbut asserted that no other bodies but the political groups
\nthemselves would be able to inspect the election process as
\neffectively.<\/p>\n
\"Either foreign observers or independent bodies do not have
\nenough human resources to monitor the polls,\" Jusuf, who has been
\nnamed coordinating manager of the PPP's election campaign, said.<\/p>\n
Jusuf complained that the government had never heeded PPP
\nreports on irregularities during past elections, because the
\nparty had failed to provide \"authentic evidence.\"<\/p>\n
Rights<\/p>\n
Asmara Nababan of the National Commission on Human Rights
\njoined the clamor for a transparent general election, saying
\npolitical groups should be involved in all stages of the election
\nprocess, including ballot counting.<\/p>\n
\"They have the right to demand transparency because they are
\nthe ones contesting the election,\" Nababan said.<\/p>\n
Nababan said the wider the government opened its door to
\npublic scrutiny the better the election would be.<\/p>\n
\"Inviting foreigners to promote the government's credibility
\nis okay, but why not allow Indonesian citizens first to monitor
\nthe polls?\" Nababan said.<\/p>\n
He said the presence of an independent election watchdog was
\nalso required to guarantee the polls were run fairly and
\nhonestly.<\/p>\n
The government has warned an election watchdog, the
\nIndependent Election Monitoring Committee led by Goenawan
\nMohamad, editor of the now-banned Tempo weekly magazine, against
\nintervening in ballot counting.<\/p>\n
Nababan said all members of the human rights body would
\nmonitor the polls. It would also receive reports of human rights
\nviolations during the election.<\/p>\n
\"We may form an investigation team to recheck the reports and
\nconvey them to the government if they are true,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Budyatna believed Golkar would take the lion's share of votes
\nin the upcoming election because it was well organized and had
\nmassive funds at its disposal. In contrast, the PPP and PDI have
\nyet to receive government funding before they can join the
\ngeneral election campaign, scheduled to begin late next month.<\/p>\n
\"Even without having to cheat, Golkar will emerge the winner.
\nIt would be better if they, as a massive group, invited their
\ntiny rivals to take part in all stages of the polls,\" Budyatna
\nsaid. (amd)<\/p>",
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