Election watchdogs to monitor Aceh polls
JAKARTA (JP): Seven domestic poll watchers will monitor the June 7 general election in troubled Aceh province, an activist with the local Rectors Forum network said on Thursday.
The forum's secretary, Saiful Mahdi, said the activities of the poll watchers would be coordinated by a joint forum called Indonesian Poll Watchers Society (MPPI), Antara reported Friday from the province's capital of Banda Aceh.
In addition to the seven domestic poll watchers -- the Rectors Forum, the Independent Elections Monitoring Committee (KIPP), the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi), the University Network for Free and Fair Elections (Unfrel), the Putra Dewantara Foundation, the Aceh NGOs Forum, the Association of Islamic Students (Badko HMI) -- two U.S.-based international poll watchers have also stated their interest to monitor polls in Aceh.
These are Washington-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and Atlanta-based Carter Center.
"We don't know where they will station their observers yet, but we have recommended the institutes to send more than one team in the hope they can monitor North Aceh and Pidie regencies which are hotbeds of violence," Saiful said.
Aceh, one of the country's regions rich in natural resources, has seen dozens killed in separate incidents over past months in addition to over 1,000 killed during military operations from 1989 to 1998. The violence and injustice has triggered calls to hold a referendum to enable Acehnese to determine whether they want to remain part of the republic in place of holding the elections.
Jakarta has insisted to hold the elections there without possibilities of delay.
On Thursday, AP reported from Atlanta that a team from the Carter Center had left for Indonesia.
The institute is chaired by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter formed the nonprofit, nonpartisan center in 1982 to promote peace and combat disease.
Carter is expected to arrive a day or two before the elections, the news agency said.
Apart from NDI and Carter Center, several other foreign observers will also monitor the elections, which are hoped to be the nation's freest and fairest in over four decades.
Also on Thursday, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer announced that Senator Alan Ferguson would lead a 25-member Australian observer delegation to Indonesia.
"The Australian delegation will work closely with and provide support and confidence to domestic election observers," Downer said.
The Australian delegation will be located mainly in eastern Indonesia in Surabaya and Malang in East Java, Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara and Balikpapan in East Kalimantan.
The foreign observers will be from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) among other countries.
Those of the international organizations which are sending their delegations include the Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections (Anfrel), the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) from the Philippines, the Solidarity Center from the U.S. and the Australia Council for Overseas Aid. (aan)