Kwik denies 'foreign interference' comment
<p>Kwik denies 'foreign interference' comment</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p> State Minister of National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie
asserted on Friday that he had never said that there was foreign
interference in the country's first direct presidential election
as reported by several media.</p><p>Kwik, who is also a senior member of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P), denied questioning the credibility of
the quick count in Monday's election, which was conducted by
several local and foreign pollsters.</p><p>Kwik said during his conversations with reporters on Thursday,
that he only expressed disappointment that there was an
impression that Indonesia could not achieve anything without a
foreign presence.</p><p>"I never said that there was foreign intervention. There was
also no legal violation. On the ethical side, was it proper for
foreigners to lecture us on how the election should be run?" the
minister quipped.</p><p>Antara quoted him as questioning the role of poll watchers
former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and William Liddle, an
Indonesian expert from the Ohio State University, who gave the
impression that they had a better understanding about the
election than local experts.</p><p>He also questioned how the National Democratic Institute was
able to make a very accurate prediction through its quick count.</p><p>"Those who understand the presidential election, and who can
accurately predict the result is not the KPU (General Elections
Commission) or the Indonesian observers. Those who understand all
this are William Liddle and Jimmy Carter," Kwik told journalists
after attending a Cabinet meeting, according to the official news
agency.</p><p>Meanwhile a coalition of pollster groups rejected the
accusation that their quick count was part of a foreign ploy in
favor of presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.</p><p>The National Democratic Institute (NDI), Indonesian Survey
Institute (LSI), Institute of Research, Education and Information
of Social and Economic Affairs (LP3ES) and the Freedom Institute,
said the quick count was a new mechanism to provide accurate poll
results.</p><p>"The quick count has no political motivations at all," Saiful
Mujani of the Freedom Institute said in a press conference on
Friday, representing the coalition.</p><p>The quick count predicted that PDI-P presidential candidate
Megawati Soekarnoputri, the incumbent President, would gain the
second largest number of votes after Susilo.</p><p>Separately PDI-P deputy chairman Roy B.B.Jannis said Kwik's
statement on Thursday had nothing to do with the party.</p><p>"We never discuss such things at our party meetings as we
welcome foreign observers, since it is a common practice around
the world," Roy told The Jakarta Post.</p><p>NDI director Paul Rowland also rejected the accusation and
explained the position of the agency during the election process
to the House of Representative Speaker Akbar Tandjung.</p><p>"It is up to the Indonesian people to decide who will be the
next president," he said after meeting Akbar.</p><p>KPU Chairman Nazaruddin Syamsudin also refuted the accusation
saying that there was no foreign intervention in the presidential
elections.</p>
asserted on Friday that he had never said that there was foreign
interference in the country's first direct presidential election
as reported by several media.</p><p>Kwik, who is also a senior member of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P), denied questioning the credibility of
the quick count in Monday's election, which was conducted by
several local and foreign pollsters.</p><p>Kwik said during his conversations with reporters on Thursday,
that he only expressed disappointment that there was an
impression that Indonesia could not achieve anything without a
foreign presence.</p><p>"I never said that there was foreign intervention. There was
also no legal violation. On the ethical side, was it proper for
foreigners to lecture us on how the election should be run?" the
minister quipped.</p><p>Antara quoted him as questioning the role of poll watchers
former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and William Liddle, an
Indonesian expert from the Ohio State University, who gave the
impression that they had a better understanding about the
election than local experts.</p><p>He also questioned how the National Democratic Institute was
able to make a very accurate prediction through its quick count.</p><p>"Those who understand the presidential election, and who can
accurately predict the result is not the KPU (General Elections
Commission) or the Indonesian observers. Those who understand all
this are William Liddle and Jimmy Carter," Kwik told journalists
after attending a Cabinet meeting, according to the official news
agency.</p><p>Meanwhile a coalition of pollster groups rejected the
accusation that their quick count was part of a foreign ploy in
favor of presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.</p><p>The National Democratic Institute (NDI), Indonesian Survey
Institute (LSI), Institute of Research, Education and Information
of Social and Economic Affairs (LP3ES) and the Freedom Institute,
said the quick count was a new mechanism to provide accurate poll
results.</p><p>"The quick count has no political motivations at all," Saiful
Mujani of the Freedom Institute said in a press conference on
Friday, representing the coalition.</p><p>The quick count predicted that PDI-P presidential candidate
Megawati Soekarnoputri, the incumbent President, would gain the
second largest number of votes after Susilo.</p><p>Separately PDI-P deputy chairman Roy B.B.Jannis said Kwik's
statement on Thursday had nothing to do with the party.</p><p>"We never discuss such things at our party meetings as we
welcome foreign observers, since it is a common practice around
the world," Roy told The Jakarta Post.</p><p>NDI director Paul Rowland also rejected the accusation and
explained the position of the agency during the election process
to the House of Representative Speaker Akbar Tandjung.</p><p>"It is up to the Indonesian people to decide who will be the
next president," he said after meeting Akbar.</p><p>KPU Chairman Nazaruddin Syamsudin also refuted the accusation
saying that there was no foreign intervention in the presidential
elections.</p>