Poll monitors begin to unveil their findings

Poll monitors begin to unveil their findings

JAKARTA (JP): Despite lacking official accreditation,
independent poll monitors both foreign and local have begun
announcing findings of irregularities in the preparations for the
June 7 general election.

The local University Network for Free And Fair Elections
(Unfrel) revealed on Friday six violations related to
campaigning, five allegedly committed by Golkar and one by the
United Development Party (PPP).

Meanwhile, the Asian Network for Free and Fair Elections
(Anfrel) concluded that most Indonesians do not yet understand
the voter registration process.

Midian Sirait, a member of the General Elections Commission
(KPU), said the accreditation process for poll monitors would
begin on April 12 and end on May 31.

In a news conference, student Agung Supriyo of Unfrel said the
alleged violations were reported in South Lampung's Natar
subdistrict, Madura's Sampang regency, West Java's towns of
Ciamis and Cianjur, and Southeastern Sulawesi's capital of
Kendari.

In Natar, Golkar reportedly paid villagers to erect Golkar
flags in their front yards; in Madura, PPP chairman Hamzah Haz
reportedly used state facilities to campaign for the party; in
Ciamis, Golkar members reportedly changed their government red
license plates to civilian black plates to use state vehicles for
party purposes; in Kendari, A.A. Baramuli allegedly used state
facilities for Golkar; in Cianjur, a Golkar member was reportedly
listed as a member of provincial general election supervisory
board.

"All are verified reports," Agung said.

Also present in the news conference was Unfrel's coordinating
lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, who said the network would lodge the
findings with the General Election Supervisory Committee or with
non-governmental legal aid institutes, to be further
investigated.

Todung said that the Supreme Court, as the core element of the
committee of poll referees, had instructed, through a March 17
circular, district courts to set up "special councils" to try
alleged violations of election law.

"Electoral violations will get special priority," he said.

He also said Unfrel would announce the network's findings
through the media every week.

Another Unfrel activist, Berlian Indriansyah Idris, said as
many as 24 provinces now have Unfrel secretariats.

Berlian said Unfrel would leave East Timor, Maluku and East
Kalimantan provinces uncovered because of limited time for
preparations. Bloody communal clashes are occurring in East Timor
and Maluku, raising concerns about the viability of holding polls
there.

Asked about coordination with other poll watchers so as to
avoid overlapping coverage of the possibly more than 251,000
polling booths, Berlian said Unfrel meets routinely with the
Indonesian Rectors' Forum and the Independent Elections
Monitoring Committee (KIPP).

Also in the news conference, Unfrel announced a training
program for monitors scheduled for April 12 trough April 14.

Berlian expressed optimism the network could recruit as many
as 150,000 volunteers.

Meanwhile, Anfrel -- a Forum Asia initiative made up of
elections monitoring and human rights organizations in the Asia
Pacific region -- announced the results of its observations
conducted recently with KIPP, the Independent Journalists
Association (AJI) and the Asian Network for Democracy in
Indonesia (ANDI).

A study in five cities by a team of 15 observers led by
Thailand's former military commander, Gen. (ret) Saiyud Kerdphol,
found that most people were still "confused" about the voter
registration process and also which parties they would vote for.

The observers -- from Thailand, Myanmar, Canada, Cambodia,
Nepal, Japan and the Philippines -- observed from April 4 through
April 8 the cities of Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan and
Yogyakarta.

"People living in rural areas are still confused about which
parties to vote for. Many don't even know there are now 48
contestants," Saiyud told a news conference.

In Medan, Anfrel ran a trial ballot with five people, all of
them claiming to be supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). Only two chose the right party
symbol on the ballot paper. The other three picked similar
symbols depicting a bull's head, but belonging to different
parties. (edt/aan)