Independent election committee promised

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives' Working Committee has agreed the National Election Committee would be independent and free in running the general election scheduled for June 7, 1999.

The government and President B.J. Habibie would be in charge of the general election, but would be "barred" from intervening in the internal affairs of the committee, whose members would be comprised of government officials, representatives of communities and political parties contesting the general election.

Aminullah Ibrahim, chairman of the working committee, said: "The election committee will be free and independent in making decisions regarding the election while the president will endorse these decisions."

The government has proposed that the election committee's membership consist of 15 individuals: five each from the government, political parties and groups in local communities.

The House, however, opposed the proposal, according to Aminullah. He said the body wanted the deliberation of the issue to be postponed until it was decided which of the political parties will contest the election.

"We want the committee to be dominated by political parties and representatives of groups in society to ensure its independence," he said, without elaborating.

He dismissed concern raised by some new political parties that the government -- through its representatives in the election committee -- might rig the poll.

Aminullah said government representatives -- with experience in running elections -- in the committee would only be administrative staff.

Moreover, "it would be left to the committee to elect its chairman," Aminullah said, adding there was no longer any need to appoint the home affairs minister as the body's chairman as was the case in the years of former president Soeharto's regime.

Abu Hasan Sazili, chairman of the House's Special Committee in charge of deliberation of the three political bills, said both local and foreign observers would be allowed to monitor the next election.

"Despite having no authority, local organizations, including the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) as well as foreign observers are allowed to report to Panwaslak (the official monitoring committee) on any infractions of the rules during the election process," he said.

Abu said many foreign agencies from the United States and Australia have expressed their interest in helping to monitor the next election.

Meanwhile, House Deputy Speaker Hari Sabarno reiterated the House's willingness to remain open to any public suggestions regarding the deliberation of the political bills.

He pointed out that before deliberation commenced, the factions in the House have all held dialogs with university faculties and students, non-governmental organizations and new political parties.

"Even now we're still open ... to any good suggestions in order to make the bills acceptable to the majority of the people," he said when he received Ichlasul Amal, rector of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, at the House on Tuesday.

Amal was accompanied by lecturers Mochtar Mas'oed, M. Machfud and Rizal Panggabean. He presented to the legislator the results of a dialog attended by 76 political parties on the university's campus on Saturday and Sunday.

He said it was an honor for his university to host the dialog in which more than 70 political parties could share experiences and ideas on the political bills and the next general election.

He said the political parties made no conclusion, agreement, or recommendations because the dialog was not a political activity.

Amal said discussions during the two-day meeting focussed on the electoral system, election campaigns, election committees, education for prospective voters, electoral monitoring and the code of conduct for the election. (rms)