More reports on poll violations flow in

JAKARTA (JP): Reports of irregularities and violations in the June 7 general election have continued to hold back the already slow tallying of votes by the General Elections Commission.

In Asahan, North Sumatra, members of the local election committee refused to verify sign the results because of reports of violations.

They said several subdistricts had received only one lot of ballot papers instead of the three required for the House of Representatives and the provincial and regional legislative bodies. They charged that in Pahang village, Talawi subdistrict, one political party, which was not identified, was found to have rigged the vote.

Mudyono, chairman of the North Sumatra Provincial Elections Committee, said his committee would look into the reported violations in the Asahan regency and would take "strict" action if necessary.

Siswanto, a volunteer with the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP), suffered a serious injury to his head after monitoring elections in Paluh Kemiri village in Lubuk Pakam, North Sumatra.

He was stoned by an unidentified man while walking alone in the village and taken to hospital in Lubuk Pakam town.

In Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, more than 40 supporters of 15 political parties demonstrated at the provincial elections committee office to protest alleged violations by the Golkar Party. They demanded the party be disqualified from the elections.

The demonstrators said Golkar had distributed to local people bathing soap with the packages reading, "Don't forget to vote for Golkar on June 7", as well as ballot samples containing from Rp 10,000 to Rp 25,000 in cash, days before balloting day.

In Dili, East Timor, Abdul Hakim, secretary to the provincial elections committee, said many locals said they had been intimidated by prointegration groups to vote for Golkar.

In Palu, Central Sulawesi, the Democratic People's Party (PRD) condemned alleged vote-buying by Golkar. The party on Monday made similar statements in other towns.

Meanwhile, representatives of poll watchdog Jamppi said 18 political parties had demanded polls be repeated in South Sulawesi, because of vote-buying and other violations.

Wahida of Jamppi said on Monday at a media conference in Jakarta that such violations by Golkar were reported to have occurred in Pelewali Mamasa, Tanah Toraja, Sidenreng Rappang, Bulu Kumba and Maros.

Wahida said that the 18 parties, in a joint statement, had voiced their demands for repeated polls to several regional elections committees but had received no response.

The parties include the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), National Mandate Party (PAN), United Development Party (PPP) and the Justice Party (PK).

In Pelewali Mamasa, the head of a Village Resilience Board (LKMD) reportedly threatened Tubbi villagers of Tutallu district to drag them to the police station if they did not vote for Golkar.

The chairman of a subdistrict polling committee reportedly threatened villagers before they voted that if Golkar did not win, road construction in their village would not be started.

In the Campalagian district, the wife of a Golkar legislative candidate assumed the duties of the district polling committee by bringing ballot boxes and ballot cards to polling booths in the area, raising fears of possible vote-rigging.

No member of the local poll committee checked the ballot papers before voting begun, Wahida said.

The head of Ponyampa village, in the same district, apparently threatened to evict residents from the village if they were found to have not voted for Golkar.

In Tanah Toraja, the wife of a Golkar candidate reportedly voted under at least four different names in polling booth IV of Kalimbuang, Ka'do village.

In Pakelo, Sanggalla district, the head of a polling place was found to have voted at another station, as well as the station he was head of.(rms/ylt/33/38/39/40/49)