Poll bodies independence ensured
JAKARTA (JP): National Election Committee (PPI) chairman Jacob Tobing insisted that government representatives would not play a dominant role in the committee, to ensure its independence and a free and fair general election.
"We have decided that the regional and provincial committees will also be chaired by a political party representative," Jacob said after the committee's leadership meeting here on Friday.
Jacob himself is a deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
He said abuse by the government would be impossible because all phases of the elections were organized by the election committee and its offices in provinces, regencies and districts, under the close scrutiny of several local and foreign watchdog organizations.
Jacob said the meeting also decided that one vote would be given to each person in the committee.
"Unlike the General Elections Commission (KPU), all members in the election committee are treated equally: one vote for one man," he said.
In the KPU, the votes of the five government representatives are equal to the combined votes of the 48 parties contesting the polls.
Jacob said the committee was made up of seven executives from the KPU, five government representatives and 48 representatives of contesting political parties. The membership of regional and provincial committees is yet to be decided. Representation of a party would depend on that party's presence in each region or province.
"Both the government and political parties have been asked to send the names of their representatives to the committee this week," he said, adding that the election committee would be officially installed by KPU chairman Rudini on Monday.
He said that both the KPU and the committee were racing with time to complete their tasks.
"The commission has to complete deliberation of its internal rulings and the electoral code of conduct while the committee has to finish establishing provincial election committees in all provinces before April 1, the start of voter registration," he said.
Jacob urged governors to send dedicated and neutral representatives to provincial election committees to ensure the fairness of the polls.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has selected 30 civilian community figures to establish an official committee to monitor the general election.
A source at the Court said on Friday that the new committee members were to be installed by the Supreme Court on Monday.
The 30 include chairman of the Indonesian Ulama Council Ali Yafie, political scientists Arbi Sanit and Miriam Budiardjo, psychiatrist Dadang Hawari, lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, poll watch activist Mulyana W. Kusumah, legal professor Satya Arinanto, and secretary-general of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) Sularso Sopater.
Mudji Sutrisno, a philosopher and another one of the 30 figures named, confirmed that Sarwata briefed them on their appointment in the Official Election Monitoring Committee (Panwaslak) and on their Monday installment. All those invited had agreed to sit in the committee, he said.
"We were told our main tasks in the election monitoring but we are waiting for a code of conduct from the commission," he said, referring to the KPU. (rms/byg)