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)