Panwaslu overrules objections

JAKARTA (JP): The official Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) said on Sunday it had overruled a decision by General Elections Commission (KPU) representatives to refuse to endorse the poll results.

"Reports submitted by 12 political parties to support their refusal to sign the poll results are not specifically described, so they cannot be empirically verified," the chairman of Panwaslu, Soedarko, told a news conference.

"The other 14 political parties failed to submit their written objections to the poll by the Thursday deadline."

The decision was taken at the committee's plenary meeting on Saturday and conveyed by its 25 members to President B.J. Habibie at his residence in South Jakarta early Sunday.

KPU failed to announce the poll results on July 26 after 27 of its 52 members refused to endorse the results, citing unresolved cases of electoral violations. Four other members abstained from signing.

KPU chairman Rudini subsequently deferred the final decision to President B.J. Habibie, who said in a televised address that he had requested Panwaslu investigate the "reasons why the parties refused to sign the poll results".

Habibie ruled that the committee would be given seven days to finish the job.

Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus, who was also present on Sunday, said that based on "democratic considerations" Habibie would let the KPU, as the election organizer, decide on the final vote count. However, they were requested to take into consideration the Panwaslu results.

The KPU will hold a plenary session on Monday, after which it is expected to announce the final vote count.

All 48 parties which contested the election have representatives on the 53-member KPU, which also has five government members. A two-thirds majority is needed for ratification of any decision.

Representatives of some of the smaller parties have demanded a seat in the national legislature, despite the requirement under law that parties wishing to contest future elections must obtain a minimum 2 percent of seats in the legislative body.

Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) was placed first in the polls with 33.7 percent of the vote, trailed by the ruling Golkar Party.

Panwaslu said the 12 parties which failed to specifically describe their refusal to endorse the polls were the Abul Yatama Party, the Indonesian People's Party (Pari), the Democratic National Party (PND), the Indonesian Democrats Alliance Party (PADI), the New Indonesia Party (PIB), the Independent National Party, the All-Indonesian Workers Solidarity Party (PSPSI), the Murba Party, the MKGR Party, the Suni Party, the Justice Party and the Indonesian Unity and Diversity Party (PBI).

The 14 which failed to meet the deadline of submitting their report at 5 p.m. on Thursday were the Indonesian Christian National Party (Krisna), the Indonesian Muslim Awakening Party (Kami), the Democratic People's Party (PRD), the Democratic Catholic Party, the Indonesian Masyumi Islamic Political Party, the Workers Solidarity Party (PSP), the Nahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU), the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI), the National Labor Party (PBN), the Indonesian Nation's National Party (PNBI), the Indonesian Muslim Party (PUMI) and the Indonesian Workers Party (PPI).

Panwaslu also said that the Supeni-led Indonesian National Party (PNI-Supeni), one of the 27 who refused to endorse the polls on July 26, had signed the poll results later that day.

Of the 462 House of Representatives seats contended in the elections, 154 were won by PDI Perjuangan, 120 went to Golkar, 58 to the United Development Party (PPP), 51 to the National Awakening Party (PKB), 35 to the National Mandate Party (PAN), 14 to the Crescent Star Party (PBB), six to the Justice Party (PK), three to PNU and one to the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU). (byg/prb)