Poll supervisors lack authority

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: The Election Supervisory Committee is not authorized to ban political parties for election law violations including vote-buying and misuse of poverty alleviation funds, a poll monitoring activist has said.

Todung Mulya Lubis, deputy chairman of the official poll watchdog and coordinator of the University Forum for Free and Fair Elections (Unfrel), said here recently that it was up to the Supreme Court whether or not to act on alleged violations of the election rules.

"Our authority is too insignificant to stop the practice of money politics or other forms of crime," he said.

He said poll watchdogs could find evidence of money politics from the results of mandatory audits conducted on parties contesting next week's elections.

"The problem is many of the parties haven't had their revenues and spending audited," Todung said.

The audits are funded by the General Elections Commission (KPU). (27)