KPU chairman cites reports of election foiling attempts

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU) Rudini said he had received reports about the existence of small groups who were threatening rural people not to participate in the June 7 general election.

He did not identify the groups accused of attempting to foil the elections. "I won't mention who, but those groups of people have been pressuring the villagers not to register even though voter registration officials have been knocking on people's doors," he said here on Tuesday.

However, there is cause to remain optimistic the elections will proceed as planned, he said, citing the fact that 80 percent of eligible voters in Jakarta have registered. In areas outside of Java, the average registration rate is 50 percent, he said.

The public has been discussing through the media the possibility of the elections being foiled. Monday's bomb blast at Istiqlal Grand Mosque was surmised by many, including President B.J. Habibie, as an attempt by certain parties to cause chaos so the elections could not be held.

Politician Yusril Ihza Mahendra recently said the country would face even greater chaos if the elections were foiled, and the military would benefit because it would be able to take over power.

Separately, a workshop featuring British members of parliament (MPs), experts and politicians said political parties needed to listen to people's aspirations and prepare programs which were down-to-earth.

"A good party listens to people's aspirations and respects their contenders. They must be critical and ready to admit their losses," Mark Fisher, a British MP, said during the workshop in Central Jakarta on the establishment of a code of conduct for political parties.

Politics is about listening to the people and not only telling them what to do, he said. "A party has to respect the voters."

His suggestions for poll contestants included the following:

* Make simple but touching programs. Be sensitive to people's needs.

* If a party loses the poll, it has to become a good and fair opposition party. "Remember, it is easy to criticize the ruling party but once you become the government, you have to meet your own words," he said during the workshop organized by the KPU and the British Council.

* Information is vital for parties wishing to survive the game.

Fisher expressed optimism that at least 80 million of the country's 130 million eligible voters would vote in the elections.

"I don't agree if some people say that most of the voters here are stupid," Fisher added.

He was responding to a People's Choice Party (Pilar) representative who expressed doubt that the people would support the polls because most of them were ignorant and poor villagers.

"Voters here are inexperienced, but they are not dumb. Every one of them knows what they want for their children and families," Fisher said. "Voters want better economy, education and health care."

Andi Alfian Mallarangeng, a political observer from Hasanuddin University and a government representative on the KPU, said he had proposed a revision to the campaign code of conduct issued by the KPU.

"Strict sanctions are needed to punish political parties which fail to control their supporters. If a party cannot control its crowd, they must be excluded from campaigning," he said.

Separately in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Pusaka Pemilu, a non- governmental organization specializing in advocating for victims of violence, said that in the past three months 90 percent of clashes among political party supporters involved the use of sharp weapons.

The clashes have so far killed one and severely injured dozens of others. (edt/44)