KIPP discloses finding on poll

JAKARTA (JP): The Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) released its final report on the May general election yesterday, identifying 25 kinds of violations committed by various parties, including the government as the election organizer.

The committee, which groups government critics, also released its evaluation of the poll and recommendations on politics and law.

A member of the unrecognized poll watchdog, Saut Sirait, said one of the violations was a lack of government accountability.

The election organizer allowed state television station TVRI to cover excessively the dominant Golkar's campaign, he said.

Other violations included people voting more than once and ballots being counted in secret, he said.

Another violation was the trading of votes to increase the number of House of Representatives seats won by the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

The PDI, crippled by a leadership rift, won only eleven of the 425 contested seats, while Golkar won 325 seats and the United Development Party won 89 seats.

KIPP's committee had planned to give the final report to House Commission I for foreign affairs, defense and information, but the commission's chairwomen, Aisyah Amini, canceled the scheduled Wednesday meeting.

Aisyah cited the legislators had been very busy with other duties.

Although the meeting was canceled, KIPP would still try to present the report, Saut said.

In its recommendations, KIPP says political parties which the people do not support during general elections should be closed down.

"The government should also open the door for the establishment of new political organizations," he said.

Sirait said the government should review its "floating mass" concept and create a "law based on people's political participation".

Systematic cheating decreased the election's legitimacy, he said.

KIPP also said new rules should be introduced to promote fair elections, including making election day a national holiday. (05)