KPU at center of storm as allegations rain down

JAKARTA (JP): With students starting to question the credibility of the General Election Commission (KPU) in the wake of a tide of accusations, foreign observers are increasingly concerned about repercussions from any further delay in the announcement of the June 7 election results.

About 50 students of Walisongo Institute of Islamic Studies in Semarang, Central Java, staged a demonstration on Friday outside the provincial legislative council. They doubted the body's credibility due to numerous problems, spanning allegations of corruption, a dispute over legislative seats for minor parties, repeated delays in the announcement of poll results and the resignation on Thursday of KPU deputy chairman Harun Alrasid over the commission's poor progress.

"Now the people are doubting that KPU can carry out its task... we are suspicious that it may be the KPU itself which is seeking to foil the elections," the students said.

"We are sorry to see disputes among the KPU elite," student Agus Susilo said during the protest, which followed one on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Antara reported from New York that several U.S. observers were concerned that the delay in the announcement of poll results provided an opportunity for politicians seeking to undermine the winning party.

Former U.S. ambassador to Indonesia Paul Wolfowitz, political expert from the University of Wisconsin Donald K. Emerson and the executive director of Asia Human Rights Sidney Jones agreed in a talk show that the June 7 polls ranked as the fairest elections in Indonesia since 1955 because the predicted violence did not occur.

However, they feared the delay in the announcement of the election results would lead to serious problems.

Politicians will have more time to block the presidential bid of Megawati Soekarnoputri, whose Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) is leading in the partial vote count, Wolfowitz said in the talk show broadcast on Thursday night (Friday morning in Jakarta).

Wolfowitz said that Muslim groups' rejection of a woman president also was shared by the military.

Emerson said that amid the complex conditions of the vote count, Indonesia still held good prospects to develop a democratic political system.

He stressed that the country's presidential election was a complicated process because the leader of the victorious party in the general election would not automatically become president.

Jones observed that a further delay in the vote count would turn the focus away from other serious issues.

"Attention will be focused only on election issues. Only a few will think about economic and regional development." Jones said Indonesia faced other serious problems, such as human rights abuses in Aceh and the dispute in East Timor.

Megawati

They held different opinions on Megawati, with Jones attributing her success in obtaining popular support to the legacy of her charismatic father, Indonesia's first president, Sukarno.

"But Megawati has a good reputation as a populist who is close to the country's poor," Jones said.

Jones noted Megawati's silence on her political programs as "she has never talked about what she will do if she becomes president".

Jones regretted that some of Megawati's aides represented interest groups with varying political agendas.

"One of Megawati's economic advisers supports the idea of imposing a fixed exchange rate system, while others refuse granting East Timor independence."

Wolfowitz believed Megawati possessed a clear vision on major issues despite her silence.

"She wants changes," Wolfowitz said. He found her position matched other influential reformists, such as Abdurrahman Wahid and Amien Rais. He said it was the reason Megawati should form a coalition with other parties.

Harun

Meanwhile, several observers lamented the resignation of Harun Alrasid.

"I truly regret it..." said Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid as quoted by Antara on Thursday. "Pak Harun has played an important role in KPU. Besides, he is a good person and his (expertise in constitutional law) is highly commendable."

Harun resigned out of disappointment over repeated delays in the announcement of poll results.

"His resignation will greatly affect the work of KPU in finalizing the vote count," Syarwan said.

He asked Harun to reconsider his decision and to instead stay in the commission until the conclusion of its work.

A similar call was made on Friday by leaders of the advocacy team of the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP). They suggested that Harun prioritize the greater interest of the nation in free and fair polls, which can be held only by a free and independent poll organizer.

In a statement with signatories including Daniel Panjaitan and Dyah Aryani, the poll watch body also urged members of the KPU to coordinate their statements and actions because of warnings that President B.J. Habibie might take over the organization of the polls.

In Yogyakarta, constitutional law expert M. Mahfud MD commended Harun for his action. He believed it showed Harun's moral responsibility which should be emulated by other officials.

The staff lecturer at the Indonesia Muslim University said: "Pak Harun has given an example as to what good and ethical politics is. He resigned because the body in which he was a member failed to serve.".(44/har/swa/swe)