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)