Observers differ on 1999 poll credibility

Observers differ on 1999 poll credibility

Edith Hartanto and Moch N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Activists do not seem to see eye to eye when it comes to
assessing the 1999 election but all agree that the upcoming
election has to be better.

Wandy Tuturoong, Adi Abidin and Roberto Hutabarat of the Asia
Foundation said on Wednesday their institution had proof that the
election was quite credible. But members of the General Election
Commission (KPU) said that it was less so.

Wandy, Adi and Roberto pointed at the outstanding voter
turnout, tight observation of ballot transportation and
nonpartisan vote verification as the basis of their assessment.

"It was the first time we saw an election run well in terms of
democracy and credibility compared to those conducted during the
Soeharto's regime," Wandy said.

The three experts were asked to comment on the 1999 election
in connection with the election bill currently being discussed at
the House of Representatives.

The high voter turnout was the main criteria in measuring the
1999 poll credibility, Wandy said.

The foundation data shows that 96 percent of the ballots of
the 127.6 million registered voters were legitimate in the 1999
election, compared to only 87 percent in the 1997 poll.

"It's incredible to see the very high turnout. People were not
mobilized by the government as in the previous elections (during
Soeharto's era)," he said.

KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti told The Jakarta Post
earlier this week that the 2,400 cases of unresolved election
violations had reduced the 1999 poll's credibility.

"Those cases should have been dealt with, but instead they
were all stuck in the Supreme Court due to various reasons,
including the law enforcers' ineptitude and the fact that the
legal proceedings would take too long," Ramlan said.

if the cases were handled properly via a special ad hoc trial
to speed up the process, the country would have had a much more
credible 1999 poll, Ramlan argued, adding that of all the cases,
only four had been resolved.

Asked to comment on the issue Roberto said he agreed the cases
must be resolved.

The foundation also noted the result of ballots calculation
carried out independently by poll watchers matched those of the
General Election Commission (KPU).

"When we calculated 70 percent of the ballots, we found Golkar
party was running second behind the Indonesian Democratic Party
for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). Many of us, who are activists,
were saddened by the results, but that was the political
reality," he said.

However, he admitted, the foundation found a limited number of
violations but they were isolated cases which did not
significantly affect the election results.

Wandy said the 2004 election had to be better than the 1999
election despite the foundation appraisal that 1999 poll was
quite credible.

"Many problems, occurring during and after the 1999 election.
One of the flaws in the 1999 election law was the proportional
electoral system in which people had to choose political parties
rather than individuals," he said.

Roberto said that the 1999 poll used 300,000 ballot booths,
the largest number in the world, while the total election
violations were only about 2,400 cases.

He admitted that poll observers uncovered "dawn attacks", the
practice of offering money or food to voters at dawn.

But it did not deter people from choosing freely when they
were in the voting booth, he said.

Besides, these violations also happen in other countries
holding elections such as in the Scandinavian countries where
people are offered vodka, he added.

Furthermore, he argued, the ludicrous over-100 percent voter
turnout common during the Soeharto's years had significantly
decreased.

It also means that monitoring by poll observers to guard
ballots boxes up to the provincial level had successfully
minimized any ballot manipulation, he added.

The Asia Foundation was one of the facilitators of the 1999
poll-observer activity in the country.

A total of 48 political parties took part in the 1999 poll; 21
of them won seats in the legislative body. The remaining parties
only gained 6.3 percent but it was not enough to get any seats.

Many agreed that the 1999 poll was the most democratic
election over the past four decades.

Wandy urged legislators to heed people's demand to produce a
better election law in a bid to provide ground rules for direct
elections of the president and legislators and the formation of
an autonomous KPU.

Legislators seem to have ignored those demands and progress in
the election bill deliberation appears sluggish, as they claim
they have to wait for the planned amendment to the 1945
Constitution in August.