Poll observers free to go to Aceh: TNI

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The Indonesian Military (TNI) would not prevent foreign observers from monitoring elections in the conflict-torn province, its chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on Saturday.

"We welcome election monitoring teams from overseas. We want to prove that elections can be democratic even under martial law," Endriartono said in front of some 5,000 civilians pledging to secure the upcoming elections.

Also present at the tightly guarded ceremony were National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno, State Secretary Bambang Kesowo, National Intelligence Agency chief Hendropriyono, and General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin.

The country will hold the legislative election on April 5, followed by a presidential election on July 5, and a possible presidential runoff on Sept. 20.

Human rights activists have called for the delay of elections in Aceh, arguing that free and democratic elections could not take place under martial law. The Military declared martial law in Aceh on May 19, last year in its fight against Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists in the country's westernmost province.

Nazaruddin said election monitors, including foreign observers, would be given identification cards and allowed to go anywhere in the country.

He asked them to not deviate from their role. "Don't let GAM kidnap you because that will bother us," Endriartono said.

There would be no "special" foreign observers specifically assigned to monitor elections in Aceh. "Foreign monitors are registered nationally and may monitor elections anywhere in the country, including Aceh," he said.

Meanwhile, some 5,000 civilian neighborhood guards (Linmas) pledged their readiness to secure the elections in Blang Padang, Banda Aceh on Saturday.

Another 45,000 Linmas were standing by in their regions throughout the province.

Da'i said told the crowd all elements in society needed to support this year's elections.

Linmas groups will assist the police at each poll station during the election. Nationally, the police have trained about 1.2 million civilians as Linmas.

As a conflict-torn area, Aceh, which has a population of 4.2 million, will have 55,000 Linmas, on top of 9,016 police and 3,622 soldiers already deployed to secure the elections. The province will have 11,036 polling booths serving 2,476,986 voters.

Meanwhile, Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh said at least 153 villages in the province were not yet ready for the elections due to the ongoing conflict.

Another 200 villages had to be well-guarded to enable residents to go the poll safely, while more than 200,000 eligible voters had not yet registered to vote, Abdullah said.

The separatist GAM rebels have been fighting for independence for the resource-rich province since 1976. Over 10,000 people, mostly innocent civilians, have been killed since then.