Poll watchdog's Jakarta branch formed

Poll watchdog's Jakarta branch formed

JAKARTA (JP): Under the watchful eye of police, activists
yesterday issued a public declaration formally announcing the
formation of the Jakarta branch of the Independent Election
Monitoring Committee (KIPP).

"As a concrete step in helping to develop a democratic
attitude and people's political participation, an independent
body needs to be established as a control mechanism in the
election," said the chief of Jakarta's KIPP presidium Garda
Sembiring.

Included in KIPP Jakarta's board of advisors are such figures
as Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, a daughter of Indonesia's first
president, and Berar Fathia, an activist of the Indonesian
Democratic Party who has named herself a candidate in the 1997
presidential election.

KIPP was formed by vocal government critics last month. They
include the former chief editor of the defunct Tempo magazine,
Goenawan Mohamad, and the founder of the Indonesian Legal Aid
Foundation (YLBHI), Adnan Buyung Nasution. The group has since
established branch offices in the regions, the latest addition
being Jakarta yesterday.

The government has brushed aside the existence of independent
electoral watchdogs saying their existence is not needed.

Attempts to establish KIPP branches have also been met with
suspicion and sometimes fury.

Last weekend, a meeting to establish a KIPP branch in Medan,
North Sumatra, was broken up after unidentified ruffians
disrupted proceedings by stoning the venue, the office of the
Legal Aid Institute in Medan.

In less than 24-hours the building mysteriously caught fire.

The KIPP declaration in Jakarta was read at the YLBHI office
on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

The proclamation of the declaration was originally scheduled
to be held at the Independence Monument on Jl. Proklamasi which
is located just a few hundred meters away. However police
assembled in force at the monument grounds and forbid the planed
event to take place.

East Jakarta Police Lt. Col. Gories Mere and Central Jakarta
Police Chief Lt. Col. Sylvianus Wenas were on hand to personally
oversee the several dozen police officers there.

In disgust, the some 30 youths who had assembled then began to
march down JL. Proklamasi towards the YLBHI building, while
singing patriotic songs.

Their march nearly sparked an incident as police officers
tried to control the youths whom they considered were obstructing
traffic.

Upon arriving at the YLBHI office the youths then turned on
the police and began to shout "police get out!"

A brief shoving match occurred but did not unfold into
anything worse.

At the YLBHI grounds, the youths then held a public
proclamation of the formation of KIPP Jakarta.

Citing the declaration, Garda said the past five elections
have been marred by cheating and KIPP is needed to ensure an
honest and fair election in 1997.

He said even though the government does not recognize KIPP, it
is legitimized by the popular support gained from the people.

"We invite the people to come and work with us," Garda later
announced.

He added that the presidium of the Jakarta branch of KIPP was
formed on April 11 and that its first task would be to
disseminate information on the rights of the people in the
general election. (mds/16)

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