Decision to let NGOs monitor general election welcomed

JAKARTA (JP): The government's promise to allow the Supreme Court and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to oversee the coming general election was greeted positively yesterday, with some suggesting that foreign institutions should also be allowed to participate in the election watch.

Golkar legislator A. Slamet Effendy Jusuf said the inclusion of institutions which had no direct interest in the election would help ensure that fair polls are held.

"This is a good development. By allowing institutions which are not involved in the outcome to oversee the polls, the principle of a fair and honest election can be upheld," he said.

Slamet said the government should go one step further and allow foreign poll watchers in.

"In my opinion foreign observers should also be invited to the next election," he added.

Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said Monday independent watchdogs would be allowed to supervise the election process.

Under the government of former president Soeharto, there was a restricted monitoring system in which only those approved by the government were allowed to examine the polls.

During the 1997 election, a group of prominent activists formed the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP). However it was sidelined by the government who refused to recognize or facilitate its efforts.

Political scientist J. Kristiadi said the government's decision was a good step toward ending the bureaucratic stranglehold on past elections.

Without specifying which NGOs might do the monitoring, Kristiadi said they had to prepare themselves from now, particularly in techniques on monitoring during vote casting and counting.

"They have to be able to work together with the government. There's no choice if we want to see fair and honest elections," he replied when asked whether NGOs could work with the government after being marginalized by the authorities for so long.

He asserted that it was important to ensure that the bureaucracy no longer "monopolizes" the election committee as it did in the past.

"This element has been the source of manipulation in past elections," he remarked, as quoted by Antara yesterday. (mds)