Observers say elections free, fair and safe

Observers say elections free, fair and safe

JAKARTA (JP): Observers, contestants and officials were
impressed by Monday's elections which proceeded without
significant hurdles except in troubled Aceh.

Much feared chaos and disruptions did not occur except for
Aceh where turnout was reported low because of impending rumors
of attacks on polling places by the Free Aceh separatist rebels.

As final ballot results would not be expected until June 28,
leaders of major political parties said they would accept
whatever the outcome may be as long as they believed the election
was fair.

Executive Coordinator of the European Union (EU) Election
Observation Unit John Gwyn Morgan gave his thumbs up to the
election.

"Although it's raining and the voters rushed the polling
places, everything was orderly and well-organized," Morgan told
reporters while observing the opening of the elections at a
polling place in Semper Barat subdistrict, North Jakarta, on
Monday.

He praised the organization of the election, especially in
Jakarta, which he said was held in a democratic and transparent
manner.

"Forty-eight political parties contesting the election, under
the observance of both domestic and international observers and
great coverage of a free press," he said.

Commenting on a complaint raised by a witness who claimed that
polling place officials were slow, Morgan said: "it's (the
witnesses') duties to be suspicious and skeptical."

President B.J. Habibie said the smooth proceeding was thanks
to the people's trust in the credibility of the elections.

"I hope the next electoral phases will be equally fair and
safe for the good of the nation's unity," he told journalists
after casting his vote in Central Jakarta.

He called on people to accept whatever the outcome would be.
"In any competition, there will certainly be a winner and a
loser. Either reality should be accepted."

Habibie said the election was attracting the world's attention
because Indonesia was moving toward becoming the world's third
largest democracy.

Former president Soeharto, who used Golkar Party as his
political vehicle to stay in power for 32 years, said in an
interview with RCTI, a private TV station, there was no reason
for people to reject the results of the elections.

"Elegant acceptance of the elections outcome would help end
the political and economic crisis," said Soeharto, whose
government has been blamed for widespread corruption and cronyism
which led to the crisis.

Ginandjar Kartasasmita, the coordinating minister of
economics, finance and industry, said that if the election was
successful, 50 percent of the political crisis would be solved.

A credible election will result in a legitimate government
trusted by both the Indonesian and international community, he
said.

"I see today's election as free and fair. There was no
intimidation and I believe people will accept the outcome because
they have chosen the party of their choice," he said.

Big praise for the election also came from Abdurrahman "Gus
Dur" Wahid, founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and one
of the presidential hopefuls.

He noted this year's elections was better than those in the
past, with Aceh being an exception.

"Jimmy Carter is surprised that the election has proceeded
smoothly," said Gus Dur, referring to the former U.S. president
who is heading a team of election observers.

Gus Dur said he believed his party would emerge as the winner
because its major rivals, Golkar, National Mandate Party (PAN)
and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) were
riddled by internal bickering.

"Golkar, PAN, PDI Perjuangan -- all do nothing to stop the
internal conflict, so many of their supporters shift allegiance
to PKB," Gus Dur was quoted by Antara as saying.

Separately, Golkar chief Akbar Tandjung reiterated his
optimism that his party would win 40 percent of the votes to
emerge as the winner of the elections.

"If Golkar loses, it will become an opposition force," he
said.

Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid saw it was a smooth
(election) process which was important.

"Whichever party wins the election must be backed as long as
the process is free and fair," he told journalists.

Senior political observer Arbi Sanit from the University of
Indonesia noted that the elections on a whole were "free and
fair".

"I believe the principle of a free and fair election has been
met and the parties contesting the polls have a good reason to
accept the outcome," he told reporters.

Arbi, a well-known Soeharto critic, said that, unlike in other
election years, he had not received any reports of intimidation
or gross violations of the electoral laws.

Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono also
expressed surprise at the smooth poll proceedings despite
people's fear of violence breaking out.

"All this disproves the pessimistic views that Indonesians are
not ready for democracy. People are able to maintain law and
order as evident from the absence of violence on election day,"
he said.

An indication that this year's elections were more democratic
than in the past is that this time people are unable to predict
which party will emerge as the winner, he added. (imn/pan)