Independent election committee promised

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)