Bengkulu governor denies alleged poll rigging

JAKARTA (JP): Election organizers in Bengkulu vehemently denied yesterday the United Development Party's (PPP) allegation of attempted poll rigging in the province.

Bengkulu Governor Adjis Achmad, who is also chairman of the General Election Committee's provincial office, and Nawawi Effendi, chairman of the Election Supervision Committee local office, called the allegation "baseless".

"We checked. It's not true at all," Adjis was quoted by Antara as saying in the provincial capital of Bengkulu yesterday.

"The document (that PPP cited as proof of poll rigging) was fake or probably sent by irresponsible people to Jakarta," Nawawi said.

The two were responding to PPP Chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum's accusation that a subdistrict head in Sumatra had already decided the May 29 election results for his subdistrict.

PPP officials have said they found "an authentic document" showing that the official had allotted Golkar 86.29 percent of the subdistrict's votes, the PPP 7 percent and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 6.71 percent.

Ismail did not say the subdistrict was in Bengkulu, but it later became apparent that he was referring to Mulyadi Wadjis, the Gading Cempaka subdistrict head in Bengkulu. Mulyadi, in his capacity as a local Golkar official, was responsible for the "election results".

Adjis and Nawawi defended Mulyadi. Adjis said the document was "a projection sheet".

"This practice is not against any election rules," Nawawi said. "The document was leaked (by some people) who also erased the word 'projection.' Besides, the projection was drafted (by Mulyadi) on his own initiative.

"There are no rules to prevent it, much less punish the man," Nawawi said.

Adjis said, "I'm going to get to the bottom of this. How could an official and a confidential document get leaked like this.

"Whoever is responsible for the leak will be punished...," he said.

The Armed Forces deplored Ismail's poll-rigging accusation yesterday. Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid lashed out at the PPP, saying the party should have checked and reported the finding to the General Elections Institute or the Election Supervision Committee before making it public.

"That (reporting to the agencies) is the standard procedure," Syarwan said in Bandung, West Java. "It would have been better if the party had not gone public with it, because the revelation has already shaped public opinion.

"His (revelation) has created certain public opinions at home and abroad. It will be difficult to undo these opinions, even if we later find the allegation cannot be proven," he said.

He said that if Ismail had been dissatisfied with government rules on electioneering, "he shouldn't have vented off steam this way".

"We have procedures to follow," he said.

On Wednesday, Ismail said he had reported and given "the evidence" to Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M., the General Election Institute's chairman.

Syarwan denied speculation yesterday of poll rigging or that Ismail's accusation revealed "a hidden agenda by a certain election contestant".

"What scenario? There's no such thing as (election) scenarios," he asserted. "Every contestant is just trying to win.

"We have to localize the problem. If the allegation is proved, there'll be punishment. The Armed Forces will uphold the rules," Syarwan said. (ahy/aan/swe)