Defense minister rejects impartial poll watchdog
Defense minister rejects impartial poll watchdog
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat
has rejected calls to establish independent election watchdogs
and to abolish the antisubversion law.
Edi said yesterday that an independent electoral monitoring
body is not needed because Indonesia has the official supervision
committee under the National Election Institute.
"The official committee is made up of representatives from all
contesting parties and is led by the attorney general. What is
the use of a new watchdog?" he asked in a hearing with the House
of Representatives' Commission I for security.
Edi said Indonesia should make the official election
supervision body improve its function from time to time, rather
than establish an independent body.
The minister was responding to a House member's question about
the Armed Forces' response to the announcement by a number of
non-governmental organizations that they were establishing
independent monitoring committees for the 1997 general election.
Last week, former home minister Rudini supported the proposal
and said the government should cooperate with the independent
committees.
Edi also reiterated the government's determination to maintain
the controversial antisubversion law even though the demand to
scrap it is mounting.
The latest to call on the government to repeal the law was the
National Commission on Human Rights which said that the
legislation violates people's basic rights.
"The law is still needed to protect the nation from
disintegration," Edi said in the meeting chaired by Aisyah Amini
from the United Development Party.
The threat will become more sophisticated in the future with
the use of advanced information technology, he added.
But he stressed that it is possible for the government to
review the law enacted in 1963 and revise it in line with the
present-day demand.
The law targets activities viewed by the government as
treason, such as undermining the state ideology Pancasila,
disrespecting or attempting to topple the legitimate government,
disseminating hatred in the community, disrupting state economic
activities and espionage.
It allows the authorities to detain a suspect for up to one
year until he or she is formally charged and the seizure of
material believed to have been used in subversion activities.
House member Didiet Haryadi Priyohutomo from the ruling Golkar
faction questioned why many government officials so freely allege
people of not being "Pancasilaist".
He said that it should be the court which has the authority to
judge if someone is pro-Pancasila or otherwise.
Edi said he agreed with Didiet. He said government officials
should arm themselves with data before making accusations.
Tati S. Darsoyo, also from the Golkar faction, questioned the
government's policy of underestimating the political implications
of the wave of East Timorese youths seeking asylum abroad by
forcing their way into foreign embassies in Jakarta.
She said the government has openly let anti-integration East
Timorese leave Indonesia if they wish to do so. The policy is
dangerous because the youths could be exploited by anti-Indonesia
forces overseas to further their objectives, she argued.
"They can be used by foreign non-governmental organizations to
corner Indonesia," she said. "The (defense and security) ministry
should be more concerned about the issue."
Edi said East Timorese who sought asylum abroad were those who
have inadequate comprehension of being part of Indonesia. (pan)