Election fraud found in Aru

AMBON, Maluku: An Aru Islands election-monitoring group claims it has found irregularities during the recent local election held on June 23. Among the findings, were that the names of some dead people and babies had been listed as eligible voters, said chief of the watchdog group established by the Aru Islands regental council, Musa Buce.

The monitors also reported that some candidates had given away rice to potential voters, raising suspicions that they were attempting to bribe them, said Musa.

Despite the allegations, the chief of Aru Islands regental General Election Commission (KPUD) Karel Labok said that the accusations were untrue. The dead registrants only died after they were registered as eligible voters, so no poll fraud occurred, he argued. -- JP