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)