Cheating said to be rampant in Mentawai

Cheating said to be rampant in Mentawai

JAKARTA (JP): Poll watchers said on Tuesday the elections had
been generally free of intimidation, but demanded the polls be
repeated in at least one province.

The Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) in West
Sumatra said cheating had been rampant in the Mentawai islands,
about 90 kilometers to the east of the capital, Padang.

KIPP's provincial secretary-general Akhmad Khoiruddin Tambusai
said observations from 82 volunteers revealed "widespread
manipulation by the Padang Pariaman and West Sumatra election
committees. To respect the political rights of the Mentawai
people the polls must be repeated there."

Akhmad said dead persons' names were listed as voters on
registration lists.

A political party cadre working at a polling place reported to
police that 3,000 ballot papers and a ballot box had been removed
by an official from South Siberut district, before the poll began
in Simatalu village.

KIPP coordinator in Mentawai, Sondang Paruhun Simanjuntak,
said many people in the islands were not even aware of the polls.

Akhmad said reports from Mentawai were received by phone,
because the only facsimile was in continuous use by the military.

Provincial elections committee chairman Adi Bermasa said the
committee would "seriously study" KIPP's demand that the polls be
repeated. But he denied allegations that officials had not worked
hard to make a success of the polls.

"We all know their difficulties of working on the remote
islands," he said. Sondang said volunteers had to travel on foot
for two days and two nights after speed boats transported them to
the islets.

From Medan, North Sumatra, it was reported that a Golkar
office in Padang Bulan district was used as a polling place. KIPP
secretary-general Effendi Panjaitan charged that this factor
contributed to Golkar's victory in the area dominated by
supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan).

The KIPP office in Medan has recorded 105 violations in the
vote process, from a lack of ballot papers to the use of invalid
ballot papers.

In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, the KIPP chapter reported 300
violations. Coordinator Nasiruddin Pasigai said voters
participated "with freedom from fear of intimidation, so the poll
process has indicated respect for democratic values".

"Political" and legal violations were caused by the "inability
of officials to adjust themselves to current changes," said
Nasiruddin. He said he hoped all reported violations would be
followed up "to ensure the growth of public trust".

From Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara, the private LP3ES team
reported five instances of more than one voter's presence in
polling booths. The presence of two people at the same time is
only allowed for disabled voters. Two voters were observed by the
team in one booth at Jembatan Kembar village, Lembar district in
West Lombok, but committee officials ignored the violation.

The team under the respected Jakarta-based research body is
investigating reports of distribution of staple foods by several
political parties before Monday's polls in Dasan Agung
subdistrict, Mataram.

Voters under the legal minimum age of 17 were discovered in
Prapen subdistrict, Praya district, Central Lombok. The
provincial elections committee also uncovered incidents of ballot
papers being pierced before Monday at Monggonao kampong in the
town of Raba, Bima regency. The official supervisory election
committee also found ballot papers with arrows pointing to number
33 -- Golkar's number -- in Bolo district in Bima regency.

In Jakarta, Unfrel also said there were a "significant number
of under-age voters" in East Java, especially among attendees of
pesantren (traditional Muslim boarding schools). On Monday,
Unfrel reported that 30,000 ballot papers were punched before the
poll began.

Unfrel's national coordinator Todung Mulya Lubis said despite
the poll failings, so far "our reports suggest that 82 percent of
our monitors believe the final (results) would be a reflection of
the votes cast." Conditions were much better than the 1997 poll
despite slow results, he added.

Poll watch volunteers from Gadjah Mada University reported
that voters were forced to sign ballot papers in Hargobinangun
village in Pakem district, Sleman regency. Protests were ignored,
with up to 70 percent of voters' preferences known to polling
place officials.

KIPP has reported 115 violations from Greater Jakarta alone.
(28/39/30/40/49/swa/anr)