Namfrel notes positive features of Indonesian polls

By Jamil Maidan Flores

JAKARTA (JP): They came, they saw, they were deeply impressed.

That sums up the brief sojourn of the 108 volunteers of the Philippine National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), who came to observe the conducting of the June 7 general election. Namfrel is the longtime watchdog organization on national elections in the Philippines. Before its stint with the Indonesian general election, it served in 22 other countries, including Cambodia in 1998.

So impressed are the Filipino volunteers that they want some of the things they saw here adopted by the Philippines. That should sober up a bit the perpetual carnival that is Philippine politics.

"This is certainly a learning experience for us," said retired Brig. Gen. Thelmo Cunanan, a former Philippine army commander general and ambassador to Cambodia who now oversees Namfrel's field operations. "We came here to help and we also learned a lot. So it has been mutually beneficial."

Namfrel volunteers praise the Indonesian voting centers -- virtually open areas where everyone can see what is going on -- as practical, sensible and worthy of consideration for adoption elsewhere. They make the process a great deal more transparent.

In the Philippines, voting almost invariably takes place in a classroom in a schoolhouse temporarily converted into an election precinct. What takes place inside the room cannot be observed by those outside, allowing more opportunity for those who would engage in intimidation or hanky-panky.

Namfrel volunteers also observed that Indonesian ballots are signed by three election officials at the polling center. This procedure makes it more difficult for would-be cheaters to make a switch of ballot boxes. In the Philippines, only the registry book is signed by the election officials. In the event of a switch, there are no signatures that can be examined to tell the genuine ballots from the fake.

In Indonesia, the election registry card can be used only once in the election for which the card is issued. The card is surrendered at the voting precinct, where officials make sure it is genuine before allowing the bearer to vote. In the Philippines, the registry card can be used in succeeding elections, with the possibility of one person's card being used by another. It is how the dead have "voted" in several Philippine elections.

The gem of wisdom in the Indonesian election process, according to Gen. Cunanan, is the cooling-off period, in this case the 48 hours before the vote, but in previous elections the week when campaigning was banned before election day. During the period, the intensity of the campaign charges and counter-charges are expected to simmer down.

Thus, when the time comes for the voter to make a choice, he is calm and well disposed to listen to the voice of his conscience. In the Philippines, the period is limited to 24 hours, not enough time, after a campaign where personal insults are mixed with political argument, to freeze the urge to kill.

Another pleasant surprise is that during the cooling-off period here all posters, leaflets and other promotional materials simply vanish in a cleanup that is remarkable for its thoroughness. In the Philippines, the country is still flooded with leaflets on election day and sample ballots are allowed in the polling places. In many areas, campaign posters remain in place for months after the elections.

Namfrel volunteers cite another positive aspect that security personnel are uniformed but unarmed at Indonesian polling precincts. In the Philippines, unarmed precinct guards would be easy meat for the armament-toting private armies of political warlords. "But the presence of armed men at the polling station, whether they belong to the government or not, is not at all reassuring either," said Gen. Cunanan.

The many positives of the Indonesian electoral process are possible, he added, because of the tremendous discipline of Indonesian voters. They come out early on election day; before the polling station opens, they are already beginning to line up. There is no pushing because they follow the rules. When an objection is raised, polite consultation ensues and the matter is settled right there and then. In contrast, many Filipino voters wait for the last possible moment before flying off to the polling place where in the rush they try to take shortcuts. That can lead to shrill arguments that escalate to slanging matches; before the end of the day the matter is being argued before a judge, in the press or, worse, at some barricade.

Namfrel is not certifying that the June 7 elections have been absolutely perfect. Indonesian poll officials are not that familiar with the indelible ink device; in at least two instances that the volunteers witnessed, the indelible ink turned out to be very rinsable. But these incidents were too few to matter. More importantly, Namfrel observed no cases of intimidation (Namfrel sent its observers to those parts of Indonesia where the greatest numbers of observers are concentrated).

Namfrel came to Indonesia because the Indonesian government adopted a policy of welcoming foreign observers, to show the world that it is capable of a truly democratic political exercise. Earlier, an Indonesian Rectors Forum went to Manila and exchanged views with Namfrel and Philippine election authorities.

With its vast international experience and its track record of foiling highly sophisticated attempts at cheating in the Philippines, Namfrel felt that it could help. "The Philippines and all the countries of the region have a stake in the political stability of Indonesia," said Jose Concepcion Jr., the former Philippine trade minister who serves as Namfrel chairman. He quotes ASEAN Vision 2020 as the rationale for Namfrel's presence in Indonesia.

How, he added, can you create a community of caring societies in Southeast Asia to solve all the problems of development without empowering the people? Elections are all about empowering the people.

"Besides, Indonesia did the Philippines a big favor when it facilitated the peace talks between the Philippine government and the MNLF. We should try to return the favor somehow."

Namfrel volunteers were welcomed with open arms everywhere they went, by the authorities and by the man in the street, who went out of their way to help them get their mission done. That has been the first pleasant surprise: too many CNN and BBC clips created the impression that Indonesians are embittered and riot- prone. The volunteers found out that Indonesians not only look like Filipinos, they also behave just like Filipinos in demonstrating hospitality by plying their guests with food. Instructed to avoid trouble spots, the grateful volunteers say the biggest hazard they had to contend with in the field was an unwanted gain in weight.

Concepcion believes his organization will become part of a strong regional network of non-governmental organizations working for the empowerment of people so that they can take their destiny into their own hands. Gen. Cunanan said Namfrel will be more than glad if tapped by UNAMET for a stint in East Timor in August.

No one in Namfrel is saying that Indonesia is already out of the political woods. At this time and even in the months ahead, the elections can still be stolen from the Indonesian voter. But one thing is clear: the average Indonesian voter knows how sacred is the act of suffrage. If only for that he deserves good elected leaders, a democracy. And if the elections turn out to be successful, much of it should be credited to his immense social discipline.

The writer, based in Jakarta, is an observer of Philippine and Southeast Asian politics.