Medan police also accused of ballot bias

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan

Another case of alleged police partiality in favor of incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri ahead of the Sept. 20 election showdown was revealed on Monday in Medan, North Sumatra.

Earlier this month, Central Java's Banyumas Police chief Sr. Comr. Andi Mapparesa was dismissed for a speech in May to police family members and retired officers, wherein he told them to vote for the Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi ticket in the July 5 presidential election's first round.

Last Friday, the Yogyakarta Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) questioned city police chief Sr. Comr. Condro Kirono in a similar case after thousands of T-shirts bearing the pictures of Megawati and her running mate Hasyim were found recently in his office.

Student groups from various universities in Medan urged the Panwaslu and the North Sumatra General Elections Commission (KPUD) on Monday to investigate the suspected bias by the Medan Police officers.

They also alleged that local police officers had arranged a meeting between student activists and Megawati-Hasyim campaign strategists ahead of the September vote.

A press statement, signed by 10 activists from seven private universities and three student groups in Medan, said the meeting took place on July 24 on the second floor of a restaurant on Jl. Adam Maliki.

The meeting lasted for two hours and was called by Medan Police officers, the students said, adding that it was preceded by lunch.

Safrizal, a member of the Indonesian Muslim Student Movement (PMII) in Medan, said that based on statements from several activists present at the meeting, the forum was aimed at "indoctrinating" the participants so they would help support a "civilian candidate" and oppose a "military contender".

Election front-runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a retired Army general and his running mate Jusuf Kalla are competing against Megawati, the daughter of founding president Sukarno.

A middle-ranking police officer announced during the meeting that students would not be able to express their opinions freely if the country were led by a military figure, according to the press statement.

"This is an indication that the National Police are not neutral. We condemn all acts by police officers involved in the presidential election rivalry," Safrizal told journalists.

Two students, identified only by their initials H. and S., who attended the meeting, admitted there was only an indirect suggestion by police officers during the event to support Megawati.

But they did say that a call to specifically vote for Megawati was made by members of their Medan campaign team at the lunch gathering.

"We were invited to the meeting with the Megawati-Hasyim Success Team by Medan police officers. Initially, it was just a get-together ahead of the election. But during the meeting, they asked us to support their candidates," the student know as S. stated.

Responding to the allegations, new North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Iwan Panjiwinata promised to investigate the report.

"If it is true, police officers present at the meeting or others who ordered them to attend will be dealt with. Based on the National Police chief's directives, all officers are prohibited from (publicly) supporting a certain presidential candidate," he said.

However, Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Bagus Kurniawan said on Tuesday he had no knowledge of the reported meeting. "I don't want to defend myself. But I truly didn't know about the meeting," he said.

Bagus challenged the students to come up with proof that his office brokered the event.

North Sumatra's Panwaslu chairman Choking Susilo Sakeh said his staff was gathering evidence in the case. "We will soon summon all police officers involved in facilitating that meeting," he added.