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)