Officials mull keeping parties off polls boards

Officials mull keeping parties off polls boards

CISARUA, West Java (JP): Indonesian Elections Committee (PPI)
chairman Jacob Tobing suggested on Saturday amending the General
Election Law, so that political parties are excluded from polls
administration in the future.

Speaking at a workshop on elections here, Jacob blamed chaotic
administration of the June 7 general election and conflicts
within the PPI and the General Elections Commission (KPU) on
party representatives who fought for their individual and group
interests.

"Both the KPU and PPI frequently failed to uphold freedom and
fairness in their policy and decision making process because of
irreconcilable interests of party representatives," he said.

Jacob said that all seats in the PPI and the KPU should be
given to independent professionals to ensure independence in
running elections in the future.

The 1999 General Election Law stipulates that the two
institutions comprise representatives of political parties
contending elections and government appointees.

The old election law, which was revised in 1985, allowed the
government to play the key role in administering the polls. Many
made accusations that this led to malfeasance in the elections
held under the New Order, at the expense of democracy.

A special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which
was held five months after Soeharto resigned as president in May
1998, ordered a new election law that drastically reduced the
government's role in the general election process.

KPU deputy chairman Adnan Buyung Nasution shared Jacob's view,
saying that both government and party representatives in the two
institutions should be phased out to make future elections run in
a freer and fairer manner.

"In the future, elections should be run by independent
professionals who have no interests in politics. They could come
from universities, profession organizations, the media and non-
governmental organizations," he said.

He said that the present election law needed reviewing because
it was proven ineffective to creating a conducive climate for
free and fair elections.

Ineffective

In his capacity as representative of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in the KPU, Jacob said that
his party aimed to review all judicial products, including the
election law, if it wins the general election.

"According to my party, the election law is quite ineffective
in ensuring a free and fair general election. The most recent
polls have proven it," he said.

A provisional tally of the votes shows that PDI Perjuangan
will obtain the lion's share of seats in the next House of
Representatives.

Another speaker, Ryaas Rasyid, director general for public
administration and regional autonomy, blamed the press and
political experts for suggesting the necessity of parties being
involved in the electoral administration.

"The law allows political parties to participate in the two
institutions, thanks to persistent support from the press and
many political experts, who wished to reinstate the old system
applied in the 1955 multiparty elections," he said. The 1955
polls, the first held in the country since independence, saw deep
involvement of parties in the event.

Ryaas, who led Team Seven, which designed the draft law on
election, said that besides party and government representatives,
those from independent organizations were originally included in
the two institutions. But, the House rejected it in the plan to
adopt the clause.

"However, the law remains open for amendments in the future,"
he added.

Asked his comments regarding representatives of parties that
failed to reach the electoral threshold in the recent elections,
Ryaas said that they have the right to stay for four years in the
KPU and PPI.

"The law guarantees their presence in the two institutions.
But, it is also their right to leave if they want to do so," he
said, citing that KPU deputy chairman Harun Alrasid, also a
representative of the Indonesian Ummat Party, would leave the KPU
after his party failed to reach the electoral threshold.

He also said the government has never influenced government
representatives in the two institutions, or given them guidelines
to help make the elections free and fair.

"Therefore, we have no intention of pulling out Buyung and
Andi Mallarangeng from he KPU," he said.

A group of KPU members petitioned the government recently to
recall Andi and Buyung after the two called for representatives
of parties that failed to reach the electoral threshold to be
removed from the KPU and the PPI.

In Medan, provincial elections committee officials also
demanded a review of the General Election Law, which they blamed
for their inability to cope with elections' fraud and violations
immediately.

Deputy chief of the committee, Ompu Monang Napitupulu, said on
Sunday, "The law obliges us to listen to many parties before we
make a verdict. We lack the power to act strongly against
violations." (40/rms)