Observers tell KPU to speed up pace

Observers tell KPU to speed up pace

JAKARTA (JP): A United States-based poll watchdog has
suggested the General Elections Commission (KPU) speed up the
tabulation and announcement of election results, warning that the
poll's credibility would otherwise be eroded.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the National Democratic
Institute and Carter Center International Election Observation
Mission raised concerns over delays in the poll results and
internal conflicts within the KPU.

"There is a danger that the extraordinary commitment to
democracy shown by the Indonesian people on June 7, and the
impressive effort demonstrated by large numbers of members of the
election administration, party agents and domestic observers both
before and after polling will be dissipated," the mission
said.

Ballot counting has been running at a snail's pace. As of
Wednesday, the KPU had counted less than 60 percent of an
estimated 117 million votes, according to its Website. The
official count conducted by the National Elections Committee
(PPI) is expected to finish on Thursday, nine days after the
tallying commenced.

The PPI counted ballots in Bengkulu and Southeast Sulawesi on
Wednesday, but failed to wrap up the national vote count after an
aircraft for the North Sulawesi Provincial Elections Committee
delegation was grounded due to engine failure.

PPI deputy chairman Hasballah M. Saad said the final ballot
count would start at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The schedule was
dependent on the 5 p.m. flight arrival of the North Sulawesi
election officials.

Hasballah reiterated that the official poll results would be
announced on July 21. The KPU had earlier set a July 8 deadline
for the announcement of the national tally.

The vote count was delayed on Wednesday for half an hour after
the Southeast Sulawesi Provincial Elections Committee submitted
an incomplete official poll report, signed by only six of the 43
committee members.

Election supervisory committee deputy chairman Mulyana Kusumah
ruled that counting must continue because the provincial poll
body's delegation did not question the validity of the tabulated
poll results.

The U.S. election monitoring mission, which sent a team led by
former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said a balance must be struck
between the need for rapid tabulations and the time necessary to
produce credible results.

"Unfortunately, the delays of the past several weeks do not
always appear to have been motivated by a desire to increase the
transparency and legitimacy of the process, but sometimes by a
dissatisfaction with the will of the Indonesian people as
expressed through the ballot box," the statement said.

The mission warned the KPU against political bargaining
assessment and approval of the poll results, in the wake of moves
by small parties facing political oblivion.

A group of parties have protested a government regulation
which allows the Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwas) to
validate the poll results, despite being rejected by the majority
of KPU representatives. The government announced on Wednesday
that the ruling would stand.

Despite the problems faced by the KPU, the mission found the
delays did not appear to have been caused by, nor created the
opportunity for, significant manipulation of the election
results.

It said there were some examples of localized manipulation of
the counting and tabulation, but, significantly, there was no
evidence to support allegations of widespread or significant
fraud or tampering designed to benefit any particular party or
parties.

The mission also uncovered the presence of "ghost" polling
places, which had not existed, but were added to the tabulation.

In addition, the mission exposed discrepancies in Maluku,
where the total number of votes cast was 9 percent greater than
the number of registered voters.

"If in fact evidence is found ... then the KPU and Panwas must
act firmly to address these problems through prosecution of the
perpetrators and through possible repolling," it said.

Separately, European Union observers, who also monitored the
elections, said the polls were fair and transparent, despite the
slow vote count.

"I am still a little concerned at the slowness, but I believe
personally that the count will be finished in a very short space
of time now," chief EU observer John Morgan told a news
conference winding up the EU operation.

The EU mission attributed the bickering in the KPU to its lack
of independence. It said KPU members ideally comprised
nonpartisan persons, whom the public recognized for their
credibility and integrity.

In regard to the recruitment of provincial representatives at
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) by provincial
legislatures, the U.S. mission suggested representatives be drawn
from across the spectrum within the province, rather than chosen
entirely by the dominant local parties.

"It might be desirable for all provincial legislatures to
conduct their elections on the same day in order to prevent a
"snowball effect" in the overall makeup of the provincial
representation on the MPR," said the mission.(imn/amd)