Elections bodies sign poll security pact with police

JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU), the Elections Supervisory Committee and the National Police signed on Monday an agreement on election security maintenance.

A special police team will be established to investigate reports of election violations "in order to speed up law enforcement (and help) a free and fair poll", National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi said.

He told a media briefing at the KPU office that it was difficult for the police to bar political parties from engaging in premature electioneering under the pretext of party ceremonies or gatherings of party supporters.

"We often have no choice but to deploy officers to guard huge (party) events," he said.

The National Police's assistant intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Guntur Sumastopo, said most parties failed to ask for police permits before holding the gatherings or rallies.

KPU chairman Rudini said the agreement also contained an injunction that political parties manage their task forces in order to avoid clashes among party followers.

The agreement says violations of administrative rules (such as the stipulation that legislative candidates submit a list of their personal assets) and the poll code of conduct (such as the ban on ministers participating in the campaign) would be handled by the Elections Supervisory Committee, while criminal actions would be handled by the police, Rudini said.

Both police and the Elections Supervisory Committee will handle violations such as physical or verbal threats with racial and religious overtones, he said.

In a related development, one of the government's representatives on the KPU, Oka Mahendra, said the National Elections Committee (PPI) was discussing a campaign formula for state-run television TVRI and state-owned radio RRI.

"In the proposed campaign formula, each day six parties will have a 10-minute spot. Three parties in the morning and three more in the evening. RRI will also make such an arrangement," Oka said.

All private television and radio stations will have to air the spots.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Maluku Provincial Elections Committee visited the KPU to report a lack of funds and difficulties in registering voters in the riot-torn province. The delegation failed to meet with Rudini and other KPU executives.

The chairman of the Maluku committee, Lutfi Kanaki, said only two districts -- Central Halmahera and Ambon -- had received money to finance poll preparations.

In Maluku Tenggara, none of the residents have been registered for the poll due to technical difficulties, he said. "The riots... may delay the poll in Maluku."

So far only 40 percent of the total 467,235 eligible voters in Maluku have been registered, he said.

In Surabaya, East Java, political observer Affan Gafar spoke out against the possible delay of the elections. "I think the government's plan to divide Irian Jaya and Maluku into five provinces has to wait until after the poll.

"Otherwise, it would create a big obstacle for the KPU," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid told governors, regents and mayors to remain neutral in order to ensure a free and fair general election.

"All government officials, especially governors, regents and mayors, should be neutral and not take the side of a certain political party or election contestant," he said during a meeting with governors, regents and mayors here on Monday.

Over the last 32 years, governors, regents and mayors became accustomed to serving on the advisory councils of a certain political party at the expense of the principle of fair and honest elections, he said without specifying which political party he was referring to.

The government in February issued a government regulation stipulating that all civil servants, including government officials, remain neutral in the elections.

"If you now choose to join political parties, you must quit your job. But if you choose to stay in your current job, you must quit your party. You are not allowed to sit in two chairs simultaneously," he told the officials. (nur/edt/rms)