Clean election more crucial than turnout, says Habibie
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie on Wednesday shrugged off expectations of low voter turnout for the June 7 general election, saying it was more important for the elections to be clean.
"It would be better -- even if only 30 percent (of voters) come, or 40 percent or whatever number -- that it (the elections) be held honestly, justly, democratically and openly," Habibie said.
During a forum with media editors from members countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Habibie said a low turnout in a free and fair elections was far preferable to a 100 percent turnout in a fraudulent poll.
The first week of a nationwide voter-registration campaign which began this month was greeted with a lackluster response.
Unlike elections held during the 32-year rule of former president Soeharto, when voter turnout was routinely high, in this elections voters are being encouraged to register themselves rather than waiting for election officials to go door-to-door to register voters.
Critics have said many registration centers were unprepared for the registration period, with many centers lacking the necessary forms.
The June 7 elections, to be contested by 48 parties, are being touted as the country's first free and fair election in more than three decades following the fall of Soeharto last May.
Following the general election, a session of the newly formed People's Consultative Assembly in November will choose a president who will lead the country for the next five years.
Touching on his chances of retaining the presidency, Habibie said he was leaving the matter to the Assembly.
"If the people support me, I will accept (the post). But if not, that is fine," he said, adding he had no intention of abusing his authority as President to ensure his election.
"If I am not elected, I have many activities to keep myself busy," he said. "I did not plan to be President. This is God's wish."
Singapore
Antara reported that an election committee had been established in Singapore. Sanusi, the head of the political section of the embassy there, said the committee was headed by Hans Podomi from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.
Some 70,000 Indonesians live in Singapore. The number of registered Indonesian voters in Singapore may have increased threefold compared to the 1997 election due to the exodus of Indonesians -- mainly those of Chinese descent -- to Singapore following violent riots in May 1998.
Separately, legal expert and rights activist Satjipto Rahardjo called for the establishment of a special court to try electoral violations.
Speaking in Semarang, Satjipto said relevant bodies such as the Elections Supervisory Committee did not have the authority to try violators.
"The Committee is focused on political violations, while legal ones are not handled," he said as quoted by Antara.
Meanwhile, the General Elections Commission (KPU) remained undecided on Wednesday whether legislative candidates should be at least junior high school or high school graduates.
The confusion stems from the fact that the 1999 law on elections stipulates House members be at least high school graduates, while the law on the composition of legislative bodies says legislators should have at least junior high school educations.
KPU chairman Rudini said some parties objected to the body's initial decision to require legislators be at least junior high school graduates.
"The KPU will check with the legislators. We're still discussing the matter and have yet to reach a final decision," he said.
The Golkar representative in the KPU, Mahadi Sinambela, said because House members are decision makers, they should have higher educational backgrounds. "Education determines the quality of a person and whether he can make good decisions."
The KPU also was deliberating whether to allocate 100 provincial legislative seats to Jakarta rather than the 85 stipulated in the elections law.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Jakarta has a total population of 9,704,600. The elections law stipulates that a province with a population between 9 million and 12 million is entitled to 85 provincial legislative seats, while a province with a population greater than 12 million is entitled to 100 provincial legislative seats.
Rudini said he suspected Jakarta already had about 12 million residents due to the quick pace of migration to the city.
The KPU also established on Wednesday the list of House of Representatives' (DPR) seats allocated to each of the 27 provinces. (prb/rms/edt/swe)
The list is as follows:
1. North Sumatra 24
2. Riau 10
3. South Sumatram 15
4. Lampung 18
5. Jakarta 18
6. West Java 82
7. Central Java 59
8. Yogyakarta 6
9. East Java 67
10. West Kalimantan 9
11. West Nusa Tenggara 8
12. Aceh 12
13. West Sumatra 14
14. Jambi 6
15. Bengkulu 4
16. Central Kalimantan 6
17. East Kalimantan 7
18. South Kalimantan 11
19. Bali 9
20. East Nusa Tenggara 13
21. East Timor 4
22. South Sulawesi 24
23. Central Sulawesi 5
24. North Sulawesi 7
25. Southeast Sulawesi 5
26. Maluku 6
27. Irian Jaya 13
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Total seats 462
Armed Forces seats 38
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Total DPR seats 500