More bickering erupts among poll organizers
JAKARTA (JP): More quarreling took place among poll organizers on Friday when chairman of the National Elections Committee (PPI), Jacob Tobing, challenged a statement from Rudini, the chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU), that the former sent wrong instructions to provincial and local poll committees.
The reportedly wrong instructions, among other things, have been blamed for delays in vote counting and the announcement of its results.
Jacob said he sent out the instructions on Rudini's order, dated June 25. In his radiograms, Jacob asked Regency Elections Committees (PPD II) to send tabulated poll results through KPU's computer network and submit the original data listed on D4 and C1 forms to the duty personnel dealing with data entry who would save it on computer.
Two days later, however, Jacob was informed that regency committees should only dispatch data listed on the C1 form.
He said his instruction to the PPD IIs concerned was based on a decision of the KPU during its June 25 plenary session.
Earlier complaints regarding his radiograms concerned the vote-pooling deal known as stembus akoord.
Jacob announced there were five deals, but eight Islamic parties involved in the first deal said there was only one, namely their own. The KPU then set up a team to study the deals, and has now recognized only two of them.
Representatives of the six political parties involved in one of the deals lodged a protest on Friday to the KPU. Secretary- general of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) Hayono Isman said the deal signed by his party and five others was in line with Article 1320 of the Civil Code.
"The deal also met the procedural requirements in that it was conveyed to the KPU on June 4, the deadline for the submission of the vote-pooling deal," he said.
In their letter of protest, the six political parties threatened to bring the case to court if the KPU did not endorse the deal in one week. The parties might also reject the poll results because they consider the election unfair and dishonest.
In his response, Rudini said the commission would study the matter further, promising his best not to hurt any parties' interests.
The National Elections Committee (PPI) continued on Friday the count of votes from 108 overseas poll committees set up in 24 countries. After ballots in 52 polling places counted, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) won 17,193 of 34,260 valid votes. The National Mandate Party (PAN) was a distant second with 4,664 votes, followed by Golkar Party with 3,022 votes.
Meanwhile, the provisional ballot count tallied by the KPU as of 02.30 p.m. on Friday showed PDI Perjuangan still held the lead with 24,089,202 votes.
Trailing in second place was Golkar with 13,121,512 votes, followed by National Awakening Party (PKB) with 11,391,659, United Development Party (PPP) with 6,821,389 and PAN with 4,636,684.
In a related development, parties whose vote earning was not enough to secure a seat at the House of Representatives (DPR) revealed on Friday they may merge and form new political parties to contest the 2004 elections.
"There is a possibility that we'll merge and form new political parties for the next general election," Agus Miftach, chairman of the Indonesian People's Party (PARI), said.
Meanwhile, the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) reported to National Police on Friday an alleged electoral violation, namely the dumping of sacks containing 92,451 used ballots in Gresik, East Java.
A representative of the poll watchdog, Sira Prayuna, said the local KIPP office earlier attempted to report the finding to Gresik police who said they were too busy to meet with the activists.
"We decided to meet with National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi, who told us to file the report right away," Sira said.
KIPP has sent the finding to the Election Supervisory Committee, but no actions have been taken to follow up the report.(imn/emf)