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)