KIPP discloses finding on poll

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)