Poll watchdogs eager to register

Poll watchdogs eager to register

JAKARTA: At least three foreign agencies and 22 local organizations
have taken application forms to be permitted to provide election
monitors from the General Elections Commission (KPU), a KPU
member says.

Valina Singka Subekti, who chairs the KPU's accreditation team
for poll monitors, said that the National Democratic Institute
for International Affairs (NDI) of the United States,
Transparency International of Germany, and the Japanese Embassy
in Indonesia took forms on Wednesday, the first day of
registration for would-be election monitors.

Among local organizations, the Rectors Forum, Indonesian
Police Watch, the Public Education and Service Center of the
University of Indonesia (P3M UI), the Indonesian Muslim
Association (HMI), and the Indonesian People's Election
Monitoring Network had already taken poll monitoring application
forms.

Valina said the registration period for election monitors
would run from Jan. 21 through March 10.

The country will hold its legislative elections on April 5,
which will be participated in by a total of 24 parties.

Parties or coalitions of parties that garner 3 percent of the
seats in the House of Representatives or 5 percent of the total
votes up for grabs will be allowed to contest the first ever
direct presidential election on July 5. A second round will be
held in September if the first round fails to produce a clear
winner.

"Referring to the technical guidelines on election monitoring
(issued by the KPU), once prospective poll monitors apply with
us, we will verify them in three days at the maximum and give
them seven days to submit additional or corrected documents,
should this be required," Valina told a press conference on
Wednesday.

Local and overseas organizations, overseas legislatures,
governments, elections commissions and political parties, local
and foreign research institutes, and international organizations
may register with the KPU for permission to monitor the
elections.

All poll watchdogs must meet three requirements --
independence, financial health, and accreditation from the KPU.
--JP