Poll watchdogs 'lacking coordination'
Poll watchdogs 'lacking coordination'
JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
blamed on Tuesday a lack of coordination among three leading non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) acting as poll watchdogs for
its failure to disburse funds allocated for election monitoring.
Poll monitoring advisers at UNDP, Erna Witoelar and Moeslim
Abdurrahman, said after a seminar on elections that funds could
only be disbursed after the three NGOs settled their
disagreements.
With the elections just a few months away, the Independent
Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP), the University Network for
Free and Fair Elections (Unfrel) and the Rectors Forum have
raised doubts about their ability to monitor the polls due to a
lack of coordination and funds.
On Tuesday, the secretary-general of KIPP, Mulyana W. Kusumah,
said the UNDP's failure to disburse the funds hampered
preparations for its poll monitoring activities. KIPP has asked
for some Rp 13 billion.
Citing an example, Erna criticized the three groups for
drawing up overlapping programs.
"We want them to discuss the programs together and propose
concise budgets to avoid wasting funds," Erna said, adding that
the three NGOs were too stubborn to agree on a compromise.
She said the poll monitoring bodies also would have to settle
questions of budget accountability.
A reliable source said the three poll watchdogs were still
debating areas of operation and training programs for their
volunteers.
"They are showing their egos. Each of them insists on training
600,000 volunteers to be deployed during the election. That is
not effective," said the source.
The source also said representatives from the three NGOs once
argued in front of ambassadors of donor countries.
According to Erna, UNDP has received about US$30 million in
grants from various donor countries, with more aid expected in
the near future. She said she hoped the funds would be disbursed
next week.
Japan will also provide a $30.97 million grant through the UN
to help Indonesia hold the June election, a release from the
Japanese Embassy in Indonesia said on Tuesday.
All of the funds, pooled by UNDP, are to be channeled to the
General Elections Commission and various poll monitoring
activities, including voter education programs.
Meanwhile, Moeslim pointed out several unsolved problems among
poll watchers, notably the method to count ballots.
"Unfrel wants to use the quick counting method because it is
more reliable, but the Rectors Forum prefers parallel tabulation
or the sampling method."
Moeslim suggested that the three poll watchdogs agree on a
suitable method of vote counting, saying it would raise the
validity of their work.
"Of course the UNDP wants this thing to be solved, or they
will be overshadowed by foreign poll monitoring groups."
The idea of forming a joint administrative center is also
being debated among the local poll watchdogs, according to
Moeslim.
Moeslim said local poll monitoring organizations needed to be
united to make sure the election was held in a free and fair
manner.
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, five poll monitoring
organizations under the South Sulawesi Poll Watchers Forum said
they were ready to monitor 16,447 polling booths.
"We estimate at least 35,000 volunteers to be involved
here... we are optimistic we will reach our goal," M. Darwis, a
member of Unfrel's chapter in South Sulawesi, said. (27/edt)