Government vows fair play in coming elections

Government vows fair play in coming elections

JAKARTA (JP): The government has pledged to be fair and
refrain from dominating the upcoming elections although its five
members on the National Election Committee will have equal voting
rights compared to at least dozens of party representatives.

Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid gave the assurance
Tuesday at a hearing with the House of Representatives'
Commission on law and home and foreign political affairs.

"The government in principle will function as a facilitator
in support of the election committee in running the election
fairly," he said.

He was responding to legislators' questions on the role of the
government in the National Election Committee.

Legislators have just completed months of deliberations on the
political laws passed on Feb.1 including that on the elections
but detailed directives on the committee are yet to be completed.

The law states that the Committee is comprised of one
representative of each political party and five government
representatives. "The voting right of the government and
representatives of political parties... will be equal," the law
says.

As of Tuesday the Ministry of Justice said 17 out of 49
parties which have registered meet requirements. The total figure
of parties which have been set up since last May is between 140
and 230 while registration lasts until Feb. 21.

"The government representatives in the committee will be fair
and cooperative and will not abuse their power to give political
advantage to a particular contesting party," Syarwan said Monday
in a discussion on political laws held by the Indonesian
Journalists' Association. He said the provision balancing voting
rights of the government with those of the parties was intended
to ensure the elections run in line with the law.

The election committee will start work March 1, when the
government-run National Election Institution will be disbanded
permanently.

The process of selecting eligible parties has been entrusted
to the independent 11-member team of respected figures led by
noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid.

Syarwan also said that his ministry was helping the team make
around 80 directives that will regulate the election committee.
Team member Mulyana W. Kusumah said last week that the team was
composing directives for the 87 chapters in the new laws on
political parties and on general elections.

He also urged Monday that parties send cooperative
representatives to sit on the election committee.

"Flexible and cooperative individuals will be needed on the
committee to prevent friction and conflict," he said.

He reiterated the government would not allow its
representatives to occupy the top committee post and this would
be better entrusted to a representative of the contending
parties.

In previous elections the minister headed the election
committee and his subordinates occupied the lower levels of the
committee, prompting criticism because all officials were members
of the Golkar ruling group.

To prevent multiple voting on polling day slated for June 7
this year, the government has ordered quality ink from India in
which voters would have a finger dipped. The ink would disappear
only after 10 days, he said.

Election monitoring activists reported multiple voting among
various violations in the 1997 polls in which Golkar gained a
sweeping victory. (rms/01)