U.S. calls for changes in RI political system<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (Reuter): The United States has called for changes
\nin Indonesia's political system as Golkar confirms its rule with
\na landslide election victory.<\/p>\n
\"The United States believes that parliamentary elections are
\ntightly controlled by the government of Indonesia,\" State
\nDepartment spokesman John Dinger said Friday.<\/p>\n
\"The electoral system severely limits political competition.\"<\/p>\n
Dinger said the Independent Election Monitoring Committee had
\nstated that, while Thursday's election proceeded smoothly, there
\nwere reports of multiple voting, intimidation of party
\nscrutineers, discriminating treatment of voters and other
\nprocedural irregularities.<\/p>\n
The committee had found that the entire election process
\nlacked transparency, Dinger said.<\/p>\n
\"We do hope the government of Indonesia takes steps to
\ninvestigate those allegations and takes corrective action if
\nneeded,\" he said. \"More broadly, we also believe Indonesia should
\nmove toward a political system in which the will of the people
\ncan be heard.\"<\/p>\n
An Asian-based human rights group issued a report Saturday in
\nJakarta which criticized the election, saying glaring
\nirregularities had undermined the right to vote.<\/p>\n
The Bangkok-based Asian Forum for Human Rights and
\nDevelopment's delegation, which had observed the election, had
\nbasic concerns over irregularities in the electoral process.<\/p>\n
The delegation's coordinator, Evelyn Balais-Serrano, said the
\ndelegates from Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia had been
\nsurprised by the level of military presence in and around polling
\nbooths.<\/p>\n
\"We think there can never be a clear and fair election in an
\natmosphere of fear,\" Balais-Serrano told a press conference to
\nrelease a three-page statement on the election.<\/p>\n
The statement said that some of the delegation's seven
\nmembers, who visited different regions, had seen people vote
\nwithout their names being checked off registration lists. It also
\nsaid there had been no mechanism to ensure that people voting
\noutside their districts did not vote more than once.<\/p>\n
The report criticized of the tight restrictions on campaigning
\nin villages, where most of the country's more than 200 million
\npeople live.<\/p>\n
\"Observations, interviews and reports showed that... Golkar
\nhad full access and control over the villages as each village
\nhead was a member of Golkar. How can the people have free and
\nfair choice under such circumstances.\"<\/p>\n
The delegation was also concerned by the pressure on the more
\nthan 20 million first-time voters.<\/p>\n
\"Interviews with young voters and their parents in Jakarta and
\nsome other areas, showed with glaring frequency, fear among the
\nyoung that failure to vote for Golkar would mean reprisal by
\ntheir superiors in school involving their academic work, such as
\na failing mark, for instance, in their final examinations,\" it
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The delegation urged the Indonesian government to set up an
\nindependent election body and a transparent electoral process
\nthat was free of harassment and intimidation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-calls-for-changes-in-ri-political-system-1447893297",
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