Polls peaceful, but rife with flaws: Election monitors<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Monday's legislative election proceeded peacefully but was rife
\nwith flaws ranging from logistical shortcomings, vote buying and
\nintimidation of voters at polling stations, poll watchdogs said.<\/p>\n
The Independent Election Monitoring Commission (KIPP) said on
\nMonday that over 3,000 volunteers monitoring poll stations in 31
\nprovinces reported that the problems had sprung mainly from a
\nshortage of election materials, which had prevented voters from
\nexercising their constitutional rights.<\/p>\n
\"In provinces such as West Nusa Tenggara, Central Kalimantan,
\nYogyakarta and even Jakarta, polling stations opened hours after
\nthe designated time of 7 a.m. due to logistical problems. Even on
\nthe official date, the election could not be held
\nsimultaneously,\" KIPP chairman Ray Rangkuti told a media
\nconference here.<\/p>\n
KIPP is one of dozens of independent watchdogs authorized by
\nthe General Elections Commission (KPU) to monitor the 2004
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Ray alleged that thousands of voters were also denied from
\nvoting, due to a shortage of ballot papers.<\/p>\n
The poll watchdog also found that voters were intimidated by
\nparty members before casting their votes.<\/p>\n
\"In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, a bullet was found inside a
\nballot box, while in Makassar, South Sulawesi, our volunteers
\nwitnessed that a local electoral administrator continually
\npressured voters to choose a certain political party,\" Ray said,
\nwithout naming the political organization.<\/p>\n
In the Central Java towns of Boyolali and Sragen, the KIPP
\nfound that Golkar members distributed cash to would-be voters in
\nthe morning, prior to the start of polling.<\/p>\n
With such rampant violations and logistical problems, the KIPP
\nfeared the public would doubt the validity of the polls.<\/p>\n
The watchdog also called on the General Elections Commission
\n(KPU) to declare immediately when balloting for regions that had
\nbeen unable to hold an election on April 5 would take place.
\n\"Until now, KPU has been silent on the issue,\" Ray said.<\/p>\n
Smita Notosusanto of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro),
\nmeanwhile, highlighted that in some regions a shortage of ballot
\npapers had prevented people from casting their votes.<\/p>\n
\"Our observers found that many would-be voters with the
\nrequisite cards were not allowed to vote. This is a blatant
\ndenial of their constitutional rights,\" she said.<\/p>\n
In a number of polling stations, Cetro also discovered that
\nlocal administrators did not abide by the rules established by
\nthe KPU.<\/p>\n
\"However, violations of the rules were perpetrated with the
\nconsent of witnesses sent by political parties and other
\nobservers,\" she added.<\/p>\n
Over 147 million people are expected to cast their vote in
\n585,218 polling stations across the country. The legislative
\nelection was scheduled to start at 7 a.m. and finish at 1 p.m.,
\nwith initial results expected on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections
\n(Anfrel) said that logistical and administrative problems stood
\nout as the greatest challenge in the election.<\/p>\n
Anfrel mission coordinator Herizal Hazri told said that, based
\non his observations, the bulk of the instructions from the KPU
\nhad failed to reach local election administrators, resulting in
\nirregularities in the balloting process.<\/p>\n
\"I observed that local election administrators simply annulled
\napparently flawed ballot papers, when in fact they could have
\nbeen deemed valid according to KPU rules,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Herizal said in at least three polling stations he also found
\nthat one key could be used to unlock three different ballot
\nboxes. \"This is very worrying, as the result is prone to
\nmanipulation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, he stressed that overall, the situation was much
\nbetter than what occurred in the 1999 election, the first since
\nthe resignation of former authoritarian president Soeharto.<\/p>",
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