Govt in U-turn over foreign election monitors

Govt in U-turn over foreign election monitors

JAKARTA (JP): The government is now not to invite foreign
observers to monitor the May 29 general election, reversing its
earlier decision, Attorney General Singgih said yesterday.

"The government has no plans to invite foreign observers, but
if they want to come here to watch, let them go ahead. But they
cannot supervise, because according to the law, only we have the
authority to supervise (the election), " Singgih said after
meeting with President Soeharto.

"I asked the President, 'are there any invitations?' He said
there weren't. Our government is not inviting (foreigners)," he
said.

Singgih is head of the Election Supervision Committee, the
official poll watchdog. He said the committee and its branches
across Indonesia would hold a meeting on April 14 and April 15 to
discuss various issues related to the supervision of the general
election, including "the contentious (issue) of foreign
observers."

Earlier this month Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.,
who is also the head of the National Elections Institute, said
the government would "invite neighboring and foreign countries to
monitor the election."

The statement came on the heels of public expressions of
concern about the possible recurrence of alleged cheating that
marred past elections. Yogie's statement was warmly welcomed by
political observers and the public alike.

Singgih, however, reiterated yesterday that foreigners could
"watch" the elections but would be barred from doing any
investigative activities, "as that is the job of the official
poll monitoring body."

"They won't be allowed to supervise or investigate, for
instance entering the 'ring' (the fenced-in area surrounding the
poll booths), or ask about forms or documents concerning the
general election," he said.

"This is our democracy. We are a sovereign country, we have
rules and laws, so there's no way (Indonesia can be measured)
with a foreign yardstick. We have Pancasila democracy, we have
regulations and we have laws, those are our yardstick."

Singgih said anyone who wanted to enter a polling site would
need a special pass, and that foreigners watching the elections
would also have to adhere to the existing regulations.

Singgih said the independent poll watchdog, the Independent
Election Monitoring Committee, should not try to supervise the
election either.

"If they enter the ring or ... if they violate the laws, they
will be clobbered."

Critics in past elections have accused the authorities of
favoring the dominant Golkar organization and of disproportionate
Golkar representation on regional monitoring and supervisory
bodies.

Indonesia's three political groupings -- Golkar, the United
Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party -- are
vying for 425 house of Representatives seats in the May 29
election.

More than 120 million people are eligible to vote this year.

Golkar has recently received widespread criticism for using
government facilities and officials to gain support. The
country's six million civil servants are required to vote for
Golkar and it is widely known that spouses and children of civil
servants are also expected to vote for the dominant grouping.
(swe)