Poll bodies independence ensured
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)