IFES pledges to stay neutral

JAKARTA: In response to criticism aired by the Megawati Soekarnoputri-Hasyim Muzadi ticket over its alleged partiality, the Washington-based International Foundation for Election System (IFES) said on Monday it would stay neutral in the runoff election.

Yanti B. Sugarda, managing director of the IFES' local partner, the Polling Center, said that the pollster had no intention of supporting one candidate over another, and the alleged lopsided results were based on empirical data.

"The IFES found that the majority of people supported Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running mate Jusuf Kalla. It is a fact that we tried to reveal without any intention of supporting the pairing," Yanti said. -- Antara