Analysts express doubts about KPU's credibility

Analysts express doubts about KPU's credibility

JAKARTA (JP): Fears of conflict of interest within the General
Elections Commission (KPU) and the likely domination of lower
level state officials during the electoral process were raised in
a discussion on the KPU's credibility here on Thursday.

Satya Arinanto, secretary of the Election Supervisory
Committee (PPI), mentioned the possibility of conflicting
interests among KPU members, saying they could be overly
influenced by statements given by their party leaders rather than
trying to work together to ensure clean and fair elections.

The 53 members include representatives of 48 parties
contesting the June 7 polls. Most of them are not leaders of
their parties.

"Some party leaders, for instance, may support massive rallies
during the campaign and others are opposed to this idea. The same
thing goes for KPU's controversial ruling against Cabinet
ministers campaigning," Satya, who teaches law, said at a session
to discuss KPU's credibility.

"Golkar and the PPP (United Development Party), for instance,
will try everything to get ministers to be permitted to campaign.
KPU must be ready to deal with such matters... because further
conflicts will continue to emerge," Satya said.

Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung is the Golkar chairman
while State Minister of Investment Hamzah Haz chairs PPP. Most
Cabinet ministers are Golkar executives.

While the KPU has ruled against parties using state officials,
including ministers, in their election drives, it earlier ruled
that KPU members were allowed to campaign. Satya said it would be
impossible for them to act as "referees" and "players" at the
same time, which would raise questions of their credibility.

"To prove its credibility, KPU must prove it is transparent
and clean on issues such as budgeting," he said.

"I urge KPU members not to think only about salaries and
benefits.

"They also want to plan their own budget allocations ... that
must worry the UNDP (United Nations Development Program)," he
added, referring to suggestions that the funds could be used for
party interests.

The UNDP is providing financial aid for the technical side of
the elections, but precise areas to be supported by donations
from several foreign countries are yet to be decided.

Meanwhile, political lecturer Valina Singka Subekti said
KPU must make sure its regulations cover the lower levels of the
election process, because of the lack of control over the buying
of votes and other unlawful practices.

"Provincial Elections Committees and Regional Elections
Committees are likely to be dominated by government officials,"
she said. This is because they were part of the established
administrative structure, the "political machine" which favors
Golkar, Valina, also the director of the school of politics at
the University of Indonesia, said.

Professor of politics Maswadi Rauf supported the view that the
campaigning and ballot counting in regencies and subdistricts,
particularly in rural areas, had to be watched for dishonest
practices.

He said these areas, which are especially vulnerable to
cheating, have to be covered in the KPU code of conduct, which
the it failed to complete by Thursday, as scheduled.

"All possible kinds of malfeasance, from money politics to
blackmail, will happen in the campaigning period," Maswadi said.
(edt)