KPU rejects election results

JAKARTA (JP): The much-awaited General Elections Commission (KPU) announcement of the poll results turned out on Monday to be yet another political complication when 27 parties rejected the final vote count, and the KPU chairman deferred the final decision to President B.J. Habibie.

The representatives of the political parties cited cheating and other poll violations prevalent in the June 7 elections that have not been handled properly by the Election Supervisory Committee.

After a lively plenary session marked by protesting parties' representatives airing their objections to the poll results, KPU chairman Rudini said he would let Habibie decide whether the poll results were valid.

Rudini met with Habibie in the afternoon. The President then said in a televised address that he had asked the Election Supervisory Committee to investigate "the reasons why the parties refused to sign the poll results".

"I have also asked the committee to finish its job within the next seven days," Habibie said.

There were at least two reasons for the vote-counting process to become a deflated affair 50 days after the poll. The first of which was a controversy over who had the authority to declare the poll results valid. The second was the failure to handle the poll violations, and the question of who should handle them.

Sri Bintang Pamungkas, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI), spoke for all 27 parties when he explained they were forced to refuse to accept the poll results.

The June 7 poll did not differ from the ones under the previous regime, he said. "It was not run fairly and freely and was marked with manipulations and violations. We are very sorry but we have to reject the election results."

The other 26 parties that rejected the poll results included the Indonesian National Christian Party (Krisna), Indonesian National Party (PNI), Masyumi Party, Justice Party (PK), Indonesian Workers Party (PPI) and Rudini's MKGR Party.

They criticized the election supervisory committee for inaction over reported violations.

The session proceeded as, outside the office, some 400 Muslim youths from Surakarta, Central Java, held a demonstration demanding an immediate announcement of the poll results and that losing parties withdraw from the commission.

Seventeen other KPU members, including the five government representatives, endorsed the results, while the remaining four were absent from the session.

The 17 included the parties gaining a simple majority in the elections: Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), National Awakening Party (PKB) Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), National Mandate Party (PAN), Crescent Star Party (PBB), Unity and Justice Party (PKP) and the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR).

The government was represented in the KPU by Adnan Buyung Nasution, Oka Mahendra, Afan Gaffar, Andi A. Mallarangeng and Adi Andoyo Sutjipto.

Of the 462 House of Representatives seats contended in the elections, 154 were won by PDI Perjuangan, 120 went to Golkar, 58 to PPP, 51 to PKB, 35 to PAN, 14 to PBB, six to the Justice Party, three to PNU and one went to PKU.

Hasballah M. Saad, a KPU member representing PAN, criticized Rudini and those who refused to sign the election results as failing to appreciate their own work.

He said the KPU should have first asked the election supervisory committee to check the validity of the 27 parties' objections in line with government regulation No. 33, issued in May 1999, which stipulates the committee has the final say on the election results.

If the supervisory committee found the objections to be groundless, the parties must then accept the poll results, he said.

Joke

Meanwhile, the election supervisory committee (Panwaslu) regretted the KPU rejection, accusing the small parties of playing a joke and saying their reasons for refusing to validate the poll results were baseless.

Committee deputy chairman Todung Mulya Lubis, who attended the KPU session, said it was strange that minority parties rejected the elections, which had won praise from the international world and local election watchdogs.

"The international world and many local observers have praised the elections because they proceeded better and fairer than those in the past."

He also criticized the fact that his team members were not given the opportunity to speak up in the session. "I will resign from the election supervisory committee if the KPU relinquishes its responsibility to the President," he said.

Secretary to the election supervisory committee M. Adhy S. Aman told a media conference that the KPU decision to defer the decision to Habibie was illegal.

He said that if any election commission or supervisory committee members refused to sign the results, they should do so in writing to the KPU and Panwaslu, citing Article 1 of the 1999 Law on Elections.

The report should be detailed, containing information on the poll violations and who committed them, he said.

"KPU's decision to defer to the President was tantamount to a denial of its own existence as an institution that is authorized to decide the poll results."

The decision also negated the hard work of poll officials at all levels and the aspirations of millions of Indonesian people on June 7, he said.

The University Network for Free and Fair Elections (Unfrel) and the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) had announced a number election frauds. However, there was little, if any, action taken.

Albright

Meanwhile, in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright commended the Indonesian people for a successful and peaceful election, but she noted that challenges, particularly in the coming session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), remained.

"Additional hurdles must be surmounted before their journey will be complete. Foremost is the need for the People's Consultative Assembly to act with transparency and integrity in electing the next president," she said. (05/mds/rms)