Sulawesi, Kalimantan poll outcome disputed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hopes for a general election free of electoral
\nviolations are being dashed as opposition parties in many
\nregencies reject poll results, alleging government officials
\nhelped the Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
In Southeast, South and Central Sulawesi, the dissatisfied
\nparties have demanded a repeat of the polls, while in other
\nprovinces a unified push from all parties concerned for a
\nsimilar measure to be taken is yet to be made.<\/p>\n
In South Sulawesi, demands to invalidate the poll results have
\ncome from six regencies: Gowa, Bulukumba, Bantaeng, Jeneponto,
\nLuwu and North Luwu. In Jeneponto, the local Independent Election
\nMonitoring Committee (KIPP) also insisted on a repeat of the
\npolls.<\/p>\n
Golkar has so far topped the vote in South, Southeast and
\nCentral Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Similar objections came from 26 political parties in South
\nKalimantan. In West Sumatra, the Murba Party was fighting a lone
\nbattle against Golkar's alleged money politics.<\/p>\n
Reports of alleged serious breaches of electoral laws have
\ncontinued to flow in amid a steady stream of praise from foreign
\nobservers for the landmark polls lauded as \"free and fair\". But
\nlocal observers have warned the praise may be premature.<\/p>\n
A.M. Ridwan AR, deputy chief of the South Sulawesi provincial
\nelections committee, said on Thursday elections in the province
\ncould be repeated if the allegations were verified.<\/p>\n
\"If the allegations are proven, there is no reason to refuse
\nthe dissatisfied political parties' demand for a repeat of the
\npolls,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ridwan said that in Luwu and North Luwu complaints over
\nalleged irregularities were filed by 29 political parties,
\nincluding the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).<\/p>\n
Moh. Askin, spokesman for the South Sulawesi PAN chapter,
\nclaimed that Golkar and government officials in almost all
\nregencies had violated rules in an attempt to win the June 7
\npolls.<\/p>\n
\"We reject the polls, because in a PAN stronghold Golkar
\nofficials and regents intimidated people so they would not vote
\nfor PAN,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said Golkar officials were also involved in vote buying and
\nintimidation of KIPP and Rectors Forum poll watchers.<\/p>\n
Another PAN activist, Kahar Mustari, said that in Bangkeng
\nBongko village, a police sergeant fired three shots into the air
\non the night of June 6 to remind people to choose Golkar. At
\nabout the same time, village officials distributed rice to
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
Faisal Abdullah, deputy chairman of the South Sulawesi
\nelections committee said the polls could be repeated only in
\nplaces where vote buying was widespread.<\/p>\n
In Southeast Sulawesi, 20 political parties have agreed to
\nreject the elections on the grounds that local government
\nofficials used their authority to help the Golkar Party, which
\ncommands an easy lead in the area.<\/p>\n
In Central Sulawesi, 25 political parties have joined forces
\ndemanding a repeat of the polls in Banggai regency, where they
\nalleged Golkar was involved in vote buying.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the parties, Baharuddin Tjatjo, said on Thursday
\nGolkar officials offered up to Rp 400,000 to mosques and Rp
\n200,000 to churches. He alleged that in some villages the
\nofficials distributed money in envelopes with a message enclosed
\nwhich read: \"My choice is No. 33 (Golkar)\".<\/p>\n
Chairman of Banggai Golkar chapter Djar'un Sibay denied the
\nparty had bought votes. He said the money given to places of
\nworship were private donations from Murad Hussain, a local Golkar
\nexecutive and businessman. He said the alleged envelope vote
\nbuying did not occur.<\/p>\n
In Southeast Sulawesi, an alliance of 20 political parties
\nhave agreed to refuse the validity of the polls in Muna regency.
\nThey said government officials had worked hard to help Golkar win
\nthe elections.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan, one of the 20 parties alleging poll
\ndiscrepancies in the area, also rejected the polls in Kendari
\nmayoralty and Buton and Kolaka.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Southeast Sulawesi PDI Perjuangan chapter La
\nOde Sirat Imbo told Antara the June 7 elections were not free and
\nfair at all, because Golkar had engaged in money politics.<\/p>\n
Officials of the 20 parties have agreed to reject the poll
\nresult, but they were yet to decide on a plan of action, because
\nsome of the group rejected the idea of seeking a repeat of the
\nvoting process.<\/p>\n
As its officials elsewhere do, a Golkar spokesman denied the
\ncharges. Secretary of the local Golkar chapter La Ode Palaido
\nrefuted the claims, saying no government agencies were involved
\nin illegal activities relating to the polls.<\/p>\n
In South Kalimantan, 26 political parties in Hulusungai Utara
\nregency demanded the local election supervisory committee punish
\nGolkar for buying votes, saying they would otherwise reject the
\npolls.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the party Herry Novian said on Thursday a strong
\nwarning which the committee had issued against Golkar Party was
\n\"not enough\".<\/p>\n
The dispute originated several months before the elections,
\nafter Golkar distributed pro-Golkar circulars to local village
\nofficials throughout the regency.<\/p>\n
Hulusungai Utara Regent Suhailin Muchtar fired five village
\nchiefs ahead of the elections, following the parties' demand that
\nGolkar be banned from the polls.<\/p>\n
Local Golkar chief Anang Ardiansyah said the 26 parties'
\ndemand for further action was \"too much\", because Golkar had
\nrevoked the circulars as soon as it received the warning from the
\nelection supervisory committee.<\/p>\n
As of Thursday afternoon, the provisional vote tally showed
\nthat Golkar was in second place with 26,957 votes, behind PPP
\nwhich had 37,088 votes. (30\/38\/27\/pan)<\/p>",
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