Golkar scores victories abroad

JAKARTA (JP): Most ballots cast at Indonesian embassies are in favor of the ruling Golkar, but reports say that many of the 1.78 million eligible voters living overseas opted not to vote in the election.

In Tokyo, Japan, by 8:00 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Western Indonesia time) Thursday, Golkar had won 638 votes, the United Development Party (PPP) 98 and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 36. Thirty-one of the ballots cast at the embassy had been spoiled.

The embassy's electoral committee's chairman, Eddy Poerwana, said that less than 1,000 of the 3,000 people registered to vote in Japan had turned up to vote. About 1,386 of the ballots that were due to be sent to the embassy by mail had also not arrived, Antara reported.

In Berlin, Germany, only 69 percent of the 705 registered voters showed up to cast their ballots. By Friday 2:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. Western Indonesia time), Golkar had won 330 votes, PPP 68 and PDI 51. Thirty-eight ballots had been spoiled.

The consul general in Berlin, Indra Damanik, said that although only 69 percent of registered voters had cast their ballots, the number was something to be proud of.

Indonesians in Berlin had received leaflets and intimidation just before the election urging them not to vote, he said.

The Berlin electoral committee's chief, Aryono, said intimidating messages had been published on the Internet.

"But calls for a boycott were ignored by the voters, although some of them did spoil their ballots to show that they were abstaining from voting," he said.

Golkar also came out on top at all polling stations in Australia. By Friday morning, Golkar had won 87.2 percent of votes cast in Sydney. About 3,500 of 4,600 eligible voters in Sydney had cast ballots.

The Sydney polling station was expecting more ballots to be sent by mail from Wollongong, Newcastle, Armidale, Queensland and Adelaide.

Golkar won 82.8 percent of votes cast in Melbourne with more ballot papers expected to be sent from Tasmania.

In Perth, Golkar won 85.22 percent. Preliminary results at the consulate there showed that Golkar had won 1,586 votes, PDI 113, and PPP 94; 68 ballots were spoiled. About 2,000 voters were registered in Perth but only 1,861 voted on election day.

Golkar won 74.7 percent of votes in Canberra. By Thursday 10:45 p.m. local time (7:45 p.m. Western Indonesia time), Golkar had gained 266 votes, PPP 51, and PDI 22; 17 ballots were spoiled.

The embassy had 406 registered voters but only 356 had voted by Thursday night.

In Darwin, Golkar won 62.4 percent of votes from 233 eligible voters; only 150 of them had cast ballots by Thursday evening.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Antara reported that Golkar had won almost 100 votes to each of the PPP's and the PDI's.

By Friday 1:45 a.m. local time (12:45 Western Indonesia time), Golkar had won 43,000 votes there, compared to PPP's 673 and PDI's 240. Only about 24 percent of eligible voters had voted with more ballots expected to arrive by mail and results expected from 112 polling stations set up in 11 places in Malaysia.

The information attache in Kuala Lumpur, Achmad Nawawi Hasbi, said there were about 1.4 million eligible voters in Malaysia.

In Beijing, China, Golkar had won 206 votes, PDI 11 and PPP 3 by Thursday 9:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. Western Indonesia time). Twelve ballots had been spoiled.

At least 327 Indonesians were registered in Beijing for this year's polls, compared to only 50 in 1992, two years after Indonesia and China restored diplomatic relations.

In Sana'a, Yemen, Golkar won 55 votes and the PPP won 2 by Thursday 2:30 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. Western Indonesia time). The PDI had not gained any votes.

The embassy's electoral committee's chairman, Muhamad Gufran, said more ballots were expected by mail. At least 243 Indonesians living in Yemen were eligible to vote, he said. (pwn)