Public can check polls: Soeharto

Public can check polls: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto guaranteed here yesterday
that the public had the right to monitor the implementation of
next year's general election, adding that when it found
irregularities it could report them to the supervision department
of the general election committee.

The presidential statement, made on receiving a delegation of
the leaders of Kosgoro, an organization affiliated to the ruling
political grouping, Golkar, came amid debate on the legality of
the recently establishment of the Independent Election Monitoring
Committee, popularly known by its Indonesian acronym KIPP.

Kosgoro chairman Bambang Soeharto told newsmen after the
meeting with the President that Soeharto also welcomed Kosgoro's
intention to monitor the general election.

"The President happily greeted the intention of Kosgoro
members to not only use their right to vote, but also take part
in monitoring," said the chairman of the Kosgoro's collective
central board, Bambang Suharto.

"If you find any irregularities in the implementation of the
general election take notes and report these cases to the
supervision department of the election committee," Bambang quoted
Soeharto as telling assembled Kosgoro leaders.

When asked whether KIPP was discussed during the meeting,
Bambang quickly said that it did not figure in their discussion.

When pressed further to state Kosgoro's own position on KIPP,
Bambang skirted the issue by saying: "I believe we do not have a
right to recognize or not to recognize it."

"But we aren't really concerned with it," he said, adding that
as long as it didn't break the law there was really nothing
wrong.

KIPP was created last month as an independent election
watchdog. The general election committee has its own supervision
department.

KIPP's board members include several vocal government critics
and human rights activists.

They include Goenawan Mohamad, former chief editor of the now-
defunct Tempo magazine, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, a former
legislator of the United Development Party (PPP), who last year
was recalled from the House of Representatives by his party and
is under trial for allegedly defaming the president, Nurcholish
Madjid, a noted Moslem scholar, and Luhut Pangaribuan of the
Legal Aid Foundation.

Government officials have been cautious in their reaction to
KIPP, with very few expressing direct support and recognition of
KIPP.

Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung categorically said
last week the military would not recognize KIPP. He said that
every citizen has the right to monitor the election but said that
KIPP's existence is at odds congruent with current laws.

Meanwhile Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo has
said that while there really is no need to formalize such an
institution, people do have a right to set up poll watchdogs such
as KIPP.

The opposition Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and the
United Development Party have also expressed their support for
KIPP.

Bambang Suharto yesterday explained that Kosgoro's move to
help monitor the election would not be through the creation of
another organization, but through the inherent right of every
voter to oversee the implementation of the polls.

"The President said that it would be a good idea if any flaws
or concerns during the election were found reported to the
supervision department of the official election committee,"
Bambang said.

While affirming their intention to oversee a fair election,
Bambang still asserted that Kosgoro would do everything in its
power to help make Golkar win in next year's election.

"Every Kosgoro member must help Golkar win in the 1997
election," he said.

Separately PPP member Zein Badjeber said here yesterday that
his party would not be "duped" by electoral fraud for the fifth
time in a row, Antara news agency reported.

He said PPP would begin monitoring the process starting from
scrutiny of voter registration which he said was a very crucial
period and filled with opportunities to perform fraudulence.

He added that it would now also pay more attention to the
transport of the results of the general election as they are
pooled in the various districts.

"In the past PPP has only had time to scrutinize the vote
counting," Zein said. (mds)