Carter praises lack of violence during campaign

Carter praises lack of violence during campaign

JAKARTA (JP): Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter on Saturday
hailed the lack of violence in the campaign for Indonesia's first
democratic election in 44 years, and said he believed it would be
fair and free.

Carter, who is in Indonesia heading a team of election
observers, said Indonesians had shown their commitment to
democracy through a peaceful campaign.

"It's been a glorious demonstration by the Indonesian people
so far that they are not only committed to democracy and freedom
but also committed to having a peaceful election," Carter told a
news conference.

Monday's poll will be the first democratic election in
Indonesia since 1955 and the first since the fall of long-time
president Soeharto amid bloody violence in May last year.

"From all early indications it will be fair and free and
peaceful," Carter said as quoted by Reuters. He added that
despite the relatively small number of foreign observers, the
presence of some 300,000 domestic observers should ensure any
likelihood of vote-rigging to be eliminated.

Separately, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and
the international community sent their best wishes to the
Indonesian people for a peaceful and successful general
elections.

"Indonesia's friends wish the country peaceful, transparent
elections marked by the same good spirit that was displayed
during most of the campaign period," said Ravi Rajan, resident
representative of UNDP, which is coordinating international
technical assistance for the elections.

The international community has been helping the elections in
three areas: supporting the General Election Commission (KPU,
including its voter-information campaigns), funding voter-
education activities by Indonesian NGOs and previewing voter-
information television spots.

Meanwhile, leading politicians Amien Rais and Faisal Basri of
the National Mandate Party (PAN) expressed doubt on Saturday over
the ruling Golkar's earlier claim it would win the elections by
at least 40 percent.

"In South Sulawesi (considered to be the stronghold of
President B.J. Habibie) may be Golkar will win, but not in other
areas," Faisal, the secretary-general of PAN, said to reporters
on the sideline of a party function on Saturday.

Chairman Amien said: "I have been traveling the country, its
rural areas too, and I have found that most people did not want
Golkar (to win)."

Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung had earlier this week estimated
a win of 40 percent of the votes. Some 112 million voters are
expected to turn up at 320,000 polling stations on Monday for the
balloting. The stations will open at 8 a.m. and close at 2 p.m.
Some 12 hours later, about 60 percent of the votes will have been
tabulated.

Amien and Faisal were hosting a "post campaign" dinner. In his
speech, Amien revealed he just came into the possession of a copy
of a decree signed by President B.J. Habibie expressing his
gratitude for the hard work of the 500 members of the House of
Representatives (DPR).

As a "token of gratitude", Amien said quoting the letter,
Habibie would present Rp 150 million (US$18,750) to each of the
House members.

Also in his speech, Amien disclosed he would take defeat
gracefully if the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) won the elections. "That would not be a problem,
because that's part of democratization. And if Megawati becomes
president, then it would be because the people wish it to be so,"
he said.

Amien had earlier expressed a refusal to become a vice
president. (swe)