Poll violations mar election

Poll violations mar election

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Various incidents have made the 2004 general election, the first
direct election ever in Indonesian history, more colorful than
previous elections.

In some places, administrative hiccups disrupted the election
and caused confusion among people, while in other places,
election violations still took place as people continued to
resort to whatever means available to win the election.

Sadly, like the campaign period last month, the election
fiesta on Monday also claimed fatalities.

In Bandung, the capital of West Java province, a mother of a
legislative candidate here allegedly violated elections
regulations, prompting a poll volunteer to report it to the poll
organizer, the Bandung General Elections Commission (KPU).

The incident began when Yuliasari, the mother of Mohammad Yuda
Prawira, a legislative candidate from the Democratic Party,
distributed around 30 free candies to voters about to cast votes
at a polling station in Cingised subdistrict in Arcamanik
district, Bandung.

It turned out to be a serious problem when a volunteer at the
Bandung Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) noticed that
the candies bore the Democratic Party logo.

Yuliasari told reporters innocently: "I was only distributing
the left over candies I got from the campaign."

In Yogyakarta, several legislative candidates in three
separate regencies here resorted to vote buying just hours before
the poll was held on Monday.

Muhammad Wafiek, a member of the Yogyakarta Election
Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu), said that the candidates were
from the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Concern for the
Nation Functional Party (PKPB) and Golkar Party.

Wafiek said that Panwaslu would report it to the Yogyakarta
General Elections Commission (KPUD) for further investigation. If
the candidates were proven guilty, they could face a maximum 12
months in prison.

In Maluku province, local residents and poll observers
revealed on Monday that supporters of the United Development
Party (PPP) had intimidated migrants and refugees who had settled
in Tulehu subdistrict, Central Maluku regency.

"They were afraid that they would be expelled from the
subdistrict if they refused to vote for PPP," said Sutan Marsida
from the Voter Education Network for the People (JPRR).

But, the secretary of PPP's Central Maluku branch, Mat
Umarella, denied the charge, saying that his party cadres had not
intimidated the refugees or migrants.

Meanwhile, dozens of party officials in Toli-Toli regency,
Central Sulawesi, staged a protest on Monday in front of the
Central Sulawesi General Elections Commission (KPUD) after they
found that many ballot papers in the regency had already been
perforated. They demanded the election here be repeated.

In Surabaya, the capital of East Java province, two children
Chris Wilson and Ganjar received voter cards, but they were not
allowed to vote by committee members as they were under age,
Antara news agency reported. Only people over 17 years of age can
vote.

Also in Surabaya, the election was disrupted after ballot
papers in Krembangan and Jambangan areas were accidentally
interchanged, All ballot papers that were supposed to be used in
Jambangan were sent to Krembangan and vice versa. Some people had
already voted, prompting committee members in both areas to
repeat the election. A similar incident also happened in Bengkulu
province.

Lastly, four people died in Surabaya during the poll on
Monday.

One of them, Bambang Setyobudi, died after he had a heart
attack while he punched the ballot paper in Tegalsari area here.

The other three people, who were all election committee
members, died in traffic accidents.