Observers cautious over election monitoring plan

Observers cautious over election monitoring plan

JAKARTA (JP): Observers hailed Saturday the government's plan
to invite foreigners to observe the May 29 polls, but said the
move did not guarantee a fair general election.

Mohammad Budyatna, dean of the state-run University of
Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences, said
Saturday the government should go further and let all three
political groups control the flow of tallied ballots from the
polling booths up to the national election committee.

"The transparency would help the government and the ruling
party Golkar dispel any suspicion of cheating," Budyatna said.

The government-backed Golkar, seeking a sixth straight victory
in May's election, will compete with the minority United
Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI).

Minister of Home Affairs and chairman of the General Election
Institute Moch. Yogie S.M. said Friday a number of observers from
neighboring and foreign countries would be invited to monitor the
polls.

Many believed the decision was taken to appease the minority
parties, who have repeatedly cried foul play in previous
elections.

PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir said that the absence of poll
contestant representatives during ballot counting by election
committees in government offices had encouraged cheating in the
past.

Jusuf gave an example of how this could happen: "Nobody knows
what's going on when subdistrict officials recheck the ballot
boxes."

He welcomed the government's decision to invite foreigners,
but asserted that no other bodies but the political groups
themselves would be able to inspect the election process as
effectively.

"Either foreign observers or independent bodies do not have
enough human resources to monitor the polls," Jusuf, who has been
named coordinating manager of the PPP's election campaign, said.

Jusuf complained that the government had never heeded PPP
reports on irregularities during past elections, because the
party had failed to provide "authentic evidence."

Rights

Asmara Nababan of the National Commission on Human Rights
joined the clamor for a transparent general election, saying
political groups should be involved in all stages of the election
process, including ballot counting.

"They have the right to demand transparency because they are
the ones contesting the election," Nababan said.

Nababan said the wider the government opened its door to
public scrutiny the better the election would be.

"Inviting foreigners to promote the government's credibility
is okay, but why not allow Indonesian citizens first to monitor
the polls?" Nababan said.

He said the presence of an independent election watchdog was
also required to guarantee the polls were run fairly and
honestly.

The government has warned an election watchdog, the
Independent Election Monitoring Committee led by Goenawan
Mohamad, editor of the now-banned Tempo weekly magazine, against
intervening in ballot counting.

Nababan said all members of the human rights body would
monitor the polls. It would also receive reports of human rights
violations during the election.

"We may form an investigation team to recheck the reports and
convey them to the government if they are true," he said.

Budyatna believed Golkar would take the lion's share of votes
in the upcoming election because it was well organized and had
massive funds at its disposal. In contrast, the PPP and PDI have
yet to receive government funding before they can join the
general election campaign, scheduled to begin late next month.

"Even without having to cheat, Golkar will emerge the winner.
It would be better if they, as a massive group, invited their
tiny rivals to take part in all stages of the polls," Budyatna
said. (amd)