Political parties' violations in campaigning 'get short shrift'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Security personnel and the official supervisory
\nelection committees are not serious in addressing violations of
\npolitical parties, at least eight institutions in Yogyakarta
\nstated on Friday.<\/p>\n
Violations continued through to late Friday across the country
\nahead of the first polls since Soeharto quit the presidency in
\nMay 1998.<\/p>\n
About 200 demonstrators of the Joint Forum of Yogyakarta Poll
\nWatchers demanded action on various violations.<\/p>\n
The Coordinator of the Committee Against Violence in the 1999
\nElection (KUAK), Rizal Panggabean, revealed that of at least 182
\ncases of poll-related violence in the country, 67 were not
\nhandled.<\/p>\n
"Violence will continue if law is not enforced," Rizal said,
\nbelieving it would create a "culture of impunity". He said all
\nmajor parties were involved.<\/p>\n
KUAK recorded 83 cases involving Golkar either as the alleged
\noffenders or victims, 71 involving the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and 41 connected to the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, the East Java chapter of the National Mandate
\nParty (PAN) said on Friday it was strongly considering not taking
\npart in the polls after hundreds of spoilt ballots were found.
\nThe ballots bore the logo of the Muslim Community Awakening Party
\n(Kami), whose main color is originally black, colored in blue
\nlike that of PAN.<\/p>\n
"This is clearly a trap (to mislead voters)," PAN's provincial
\ndeputy chairman Sulthon Amin said. PAN in the Lamongan regency
\nhad conducted a poll simulation for senior citizens declaring
\nthemselves PAN sympathizers, he said.<\/p>\n
"From 200 residents, 15 wrongly voted for the Kami Party, and
\nso did all (PAN supporters) in Sidoarjo."<\/p>\n
"I think there is an evil conspiracy against reformist
\nparties," Sulthon said. "It couldn't be a technical mistake."<\/p>\n
PAN's East Java chapter has lodged a protest to the provincial
\nelection committee and the official supervisory committee. "There
\ncould be at least hundreds of thousands of these papers," Sulthon
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, dozens of activists of the Indonesia Working Forum
\nurged an end to money politics, citing reports, mainly from the
\nUrban Poor Consortium, regarding abuse of farmers' credit schemes
\nof Rp 11 trillion and the safety net fund of Rp 18 trillion.<\/p>\n
They demanded that the House of Representatives immediately
\nannounce the results of auditing of fund use and appoint two
\nindependent international auditors to check the related state
\noffices involved in their distribution. They also urged that
\nGolkar and the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR) be disqualified
\nfrom the polls if proved guilty of abusing the funds.<\/p>\n
From Bandar Lampung Antara quoted a private poll watch monitor
\nas saying that PDI Perjuangan was the party involved in most
\nviolations, such as the vandalizing of other parties' symbols.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the Rector's Forum of Lampung, Anshori Djausal,
\nsaid Golkar, PKP and PDR were most involved in money politics and
\nabuse of government facilities. Golkar and PDR were the parties
\nwhich most often promised a return to voters and the involvement
\nof civil servants as campaigners, Anshori alleged.<\/p>\n
From Manado, North Sulawesi, Antara quoted a PDR supporter as
\nsaying that the stop in the channeling of farmers' credit schemes
\nwould affect the votes of PDR. "Much of PDR's campaign material
\ncomprised of convincing people that PDR will be able to channel
\nthe funds," Tommy P. in Tomohon, Minahasa regency, said. But a
\nPDR executive denied that campaigners made such pledges.<\/p>\n
From Palu, Central Sulawesi the Independent Election
\nMonitoring Committee (KIPP) discovered polling committees in
\nremote areas which only represent one party.<\/p>\n
Polling committees must represent all parties in a given area.<\/p>\n
"In Poso district, for instance, we found more than 10 polling
\ncommittees with members from only one party, plus village
\nofficials," KIPP member Armin Salasa said Friday.<\/p>\n
"People in remote areas stick to the old perception that
\nelection organizers only consist of village officials and local
\nGolkar cadres," he observed.<\/p>\n
In Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, the chapter of the
\nUniversity Network for Free and Fair Elections (Unfrel) revealed
\nGolkar topped the list of 10 political parties involved in
\nalleged crimes such as intimidation and money politics.<\/p>\n
From Pandeglang, West Java, the agency also reported that in
\ntwo weeks of campaigning since May 19, nine had died and dozens
\nhad been injured, mostly in traffic accidents. (44\/38\/23\/swa\/nur\/anr)<\/p>",
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