Elections bodies sign poll security pact with police

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)