PAN chairman pays visit to Sukarno's grave in Blitar

PAN chairman pays visit to Sukarno's grave in Blitar

BLITAR, East Java (JP): Amien Rais of the National Mandate
Party (PAN) on Monday visited the grave of founding president
Sukarno, the father of rival politician Megawati Soekarnoputri of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

Amien made the visit after delivering a political speech at
the opening of the Blitar chapter of the party. Hundreds of
locals waited around the grave for hours beforehand, and jostled
to shake Amien's hand when he arrived.

Amien was inside the compound for five minutes. "It is usual
for a Muslim to pray for the dead, asking that God forgive the
person's sins, and to remind the Muslim himself of death," he
said.

"There is no political motive for this visit," he insisted.

Amien is one of a few people to declare their ambition to run
for president this November.

Amien's speech was a notable event, as it was guarded by
security members of not only PAN, but competing parties including
PDI Perjuangan, the United Development Party (PPP) and the
National Awakening Party (PKB).

"This is a portrayal of the fact that reform forces should be
united in building a new Indonesia," he said.

In his speech, Amien also declared his party's readiness to
merge with "reform parties" such as PPP, PDI Perjuangan, PKB. "It
would be too difficult, however, for us to cooperate with
Golkar," he added.

He also criticized some parties for enticing supporters with
promises of money or other material rewards. Those responsible
for "money politics" would prove to be more corrupt when in
power, he said.

In Jakarta, preparations for the June 7 elections are halfway
to completion, and poll organizers are optimistic that despite
earlier glitches, the elections will proceed on schedule.

"Progress has been made and about 50 percent of all
preparations completed. We are optimistic," deputy chairman of
the Indonesian Election Committee (PPI) Hasballah M. Saad told
The Jakarta Post here on Monday.

He dismissed criticism that both the General Election
Commission (KPU) and the election committee have been working too
slowly.

"We started working only on March 10 but have accomplished
much," he said, explaining that it was difficult to prepare an
election with more than 100 million voters

Hasballah, a representative of the National Mandate Party
(PAN) in the KPU, said the office has been disseminating
information to inform the public of the political laws and the
election schedule. Voter registration is already underway.

"The last phase of the preparations is the election
campaigning scheduled from May 19 through June 4. The electoral
code of conduct has been given out as well," he said.

He admitted that a large number of people eligible to vote in
East Aceh and several regions in Kalimantan have yet to be
registered, because the forms sent by the KPU have not arrived.

"Only around 40 percent of prospective voters in East Aceh and
Kalimantan have registered," he said.

Voter registration will end on May 4.

Meanwhile, the Independent Election Monitoring Committee
(KIPP) reported on Monday that the establishment of district
polling committees in Palu, Central Sulawesi, and several cities
in West Java was postponed until April 6.

KIPP secretary-general Mulyana W. Kusumah said this also
caused delays in the formation of polling committees at the
subdistrict level.

He said that in most cases, poor logistics, such as delays in
the shipping of registration forms and lack of operation funds,
were behind the glitches.

KIPP also criticized the KPU for the methods used to register
poll observers. "It is not clear how the accreditation committee
will register poll watch bodies as they do not know anything
about poll monitoring themselves," Mulyana said.

Separately in Sleman, Yogyakarta, chairman of Sleman's
Regional Elections Committee (PPD II) Putu Sumadiyasa was facing
demands that he resign over charges he had failed to fulfill his
duties.

"Besides, he rarely comes to the coordination meetings. We
plan to elect a new chairman," Abdul Haris, the representative of
the Islamic People's Party (PUI) in the committee, said.

Putu is also a secretary of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in Sleman.

Separately, a "speedy and safe" computerized ballot counting
system called SICACAH was introduced on Monday by the University
of Indonesia.

Rector Asman Budisantoso said the existing poll watchdogs --
the Rectors Forum, the University Network for Free and Fair
Elections, and the Independent Committee for Election Monitoring
-- are welcome to make use of the system.

"It's free of charge," he said.

To create the system, the university spent US$142,000, Asman
said. The money was raised by the university through a recent art
show, he said.

Asman said the university had requested Germany, Japan and the
U.S. through their embassies here to examine the system for
"bench-marking" purposes. (nur/44/aan/edt/rms)