PDI, PPP hail poll watchdog

PDI, PPP hail poll watchdog

JAKARTA (JP): The independent body established last week to monitor the 1997 general election has found strong support from the minority parties but has been fiercely rejected by the ruling Golkar organization.

Politicians Soerjadi from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and Aisyah Amini from the United Development Party (PPP) said on Saturday that they hope the Independent Election Monitoring Committee will help improve the election.

Golkar legislator Andi Mattalata, however, maintained that the monitoring body must be rejected on the grounds that it is not covered in the existing laws and thus the validity of their findings will be questionable.

Soerjadi, deputy House speaker from the PDI, said the formation of the independent poll watchdog is a good initiative as a form of public participation in electoral supervision.

"I strongly back the committee. I am sure its formation will inspire more people to go to the polls because it is manned by people of integrity," he told The Jakarta Post.

Founded on Friday by more than 50 journalists, lawyers, statesmen, academics and activists, the committee is chaired by Goenawan Mohamad, former editor-in-chief of the Tempo weekly that the government closed down in 1994.

Numerous government officials expressed their objections to the committee long before it came into being. They argue that Indonesia already has an official state poll supervision body (Panwaslak), which caters for all the contestants.

Soerjadi, a former PDI chief, said activists of the independent poll watchdog should be prepared to face pressure when they try to do their jobs next year.

"Even PDI and PPP representatives who have all the permits to become witnesses in ballot counting were subject to intimidation in the past," he said.

According to Soerjadi, past elections have been far form "fair and honest" as the government has always claimed.

Aisyah Amini, chief of the House of Representatives Commission I for foreign affairs, defense and information, said she welcomed the independent committee.

However, she said she was rather pessimistic whether its findings will be recognized because it has no legal basis.

"Since it has no legal basis, alleged riggings it uncovers cannot be brought to trial. Besides, its findings will lack credibility," she said.

The PPP has claimed that in past elections fraud was commonplace. A number of its branches have threatened to boycott the 1997 election unless the government guarantees fairness.

Aisyah advised activists of the independent poll watchdog to witness the implementation of next year's election in remote areas where "innocent" villagers are usually pressurized to vote for Golkar.

"I am afraid they will find no fraud here in the capital because the people are more educated and supervision works better," she said.

In the past some government officials in remote areas did not register voters whom they believed would vote for the PPP, she said as an example of dishonest practices.

Andi Mattalata, secretary of the Golkar faction in the House of Representatives, said the independent poll watchdog is not what Indonesia needs to improve the election.

"I think what we need is a more effective official poll committee. The independent monitoring body will only muddle the election because it has no legal basis. The validity of its findings will therefore not be recognized."

In the future, alleged riggings as reported by the official state poll monitoring body should be settled openly as the PPP and PDI have always demanded, he said. (pan)