Polls likely to be called off in 10% of regencies: KIPP<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Elections are unlikely to take place in 10
\npercent of the country's 243 regencies due to their vulnerability
\nto unrest, a poll monitor predicted on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Mulyana W. Kusumah, secretary-general of the Independent
\nElection Monitoring Committee (KIPP), said there was not a strong
\nlikelihood of polls being held in areas such as Aceh, Maluku,
\nWest Kalimantan and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
\"Unrest that has rocked various parts of the country has
\ncaused damage to infrastructure, and based on our observations a
\ndisturbance tends to spill over,\" Mulyana said after inaugurating
\nKIPP branches in Greater Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Other observers have also raised similar concerns.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said a delayed poll in unrest-ridden regencies would
\nbe preferable if technical problems remained unsettled.<\/p>\n
Law No.3\/1999 on General Elections says delayed polls may take
\nplace within a maximum of 30 days after balloting day.<\/p>\n
In such areas, Mulyana said, \"Technically, it would difficult
\nto gather voters... as many residents have probably fled or will
\neven refuse to vote for political reasons\".<\/p>\n
This year's elections are scheduled for June 7, with 140
\nmillion eligible voters.<\/p>\n
Apart from sporadic unrest in Maluku, Lhoksemauwe in Aceh,
\nJayapura in Irian Jaya and Sambas in West Kalimantan, cries for
\nindependence have been raised in East Timor, Aceh and other
\nareas.<\/p>\n
\"Fears and traumatic experiences may lead people in the riot-
\ntorn areas to refrain from voting. They are concentrating on
\nsurviving,\" Mulyana said. Thousands of displaced residents in
\nprovinces where recent carnage has taken place have taken
\nsanctuary in refugee centers.<\/p>\n
The General Elections Law also allows a vote rerun in cases
\nwhere vote-rigging or other violations have been found.<\/p>\n
Established in March 1996, KIPP was the first poll monitoring
\nbody in Indonesia. Together with the University Network for Free
\nand Fair Elections (Unfrel) and the Rectors Forum, KIPP will
\nmonitor the country's multiparty election process. Several other
\nmonitoring bodies have also been set up.<\/p>\n
Currently KIPP claims to have 60,000 volunteers and hopes to
\nreach a set target of 130,000 to oversee 128 regencies.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said KIPP had started monitoring since the early
\nstages of the election process.<\/p>\n
\"We observed, among other things, the delays in election
\nstages caused by spats between the General Elections Commission
\nand parties contesting the polls,\" he said.<\/p>\n
KIPP is to hold a two-day trainers' course on March 30 and
\nMarch 31 to be attended by representatives of its nationwide
\nbranches.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, General Elections Committee (PPI) member I.M.
\nSunarka regretted the establishment of regional electoral
\ncommittees in regencies which did not involve the committee.<\/p>\n
\"Such regional elections committees are not legitimate and
\nthus selection for their membership must be repeated,\" Sunarka
\nsaid while installing Central Java's electoral committee on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Also in Semarang, visiting leader of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri met
\nwith Semarang Bishop Ignatius Suharyo to request his help in
\nwatching over her party's supporters.<\/p>\n
Suharyo, as quoted by Antara news agency, said the Semarang
\ndiocese would stay neutral to all parties.<\/p>\n
\"PDI Perjuangan is not the only political party to ask the
\nchurch to watch over their supporters. We have received the same
\nrequest from PAN and PKB,\" Suharyo said.<\/p>\n
PAN is the National Mandate Party led by popular scholar Amien
\nRais, while PKB is the National Awakening Party founded by Muslim
\nleader Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Megawati was in Semarang to officiate the party's command
\nposts in the province. Thousands of supporters flooded the city
\nstreets to welcome her, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
In Magelang, Megawati said in front of some 30,000 supporters
\nthat people were easily torn apart and divided, \"because of deep
\npolarizing feelings\" attached to respective ethnic groups. She
\nurged people to remain as one, \"as we cannot let the violence go
\non in various areas such as in Ambon or Sambas.\" (edt\/aan\/har)<\/p>",
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