Election monitoring

In reference to a Jan. 7, 1999's news story in The Jakarta Post under the headline "Universities band together to form poll watchdog," the final part of which refers Dr. T. Mulya Lubis as "a founder of the Independent Election Monitoring Committee," allow me to give the following response:

First, Mr. T. Mulya Lubis did not take part in the establishment of the Independent Committee for Election Monitoring (KIPP Indonesia) in March 1996. In the repressive political situation at the time, KIPP Indonesia was set up by 40 activists, non-governmental organizations, student leaders, academics, lawyers and community figureheads such as Adnan Buyung Nasution, Nurcholish Madjid, Goenawan Mohamad, Mulyana W. Kusumah, Permadi and others.

Mr. T. Mulya Lubis was nominated as a member of the National Council of KIPP Indonesia in the plenary meeting of the presidium of KIPP Indonesia in October 1998, but the nomination was dropped so as not to conflict with his position as a UNFRP coordinator.

Second, KIPP Indonesia welcomes the recent establishment of private election monitoring institutions. In a relatively open political climate, the role of such institutions are important in developing democracy.

STANDARKIAA

Network Presidium

LEOPOLD SUDARYONO

Internal Presidium

KIPP Indonesia