Rectors issue code for poll monitoring

Rectors issue code for poll monitoring

By Ainur R. Sophiaan

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): A national congress of rectors from
dozens of institutions across the country issued a code of
conduct which it suggested could be adopted by all volunteer poll
monitors.

The congress, which ended Saturday at the Grand Bali Beach
Hotel in Sanur, was held as part of the planned recruitment of
450,000 students to monitor voting at 75 percent of the estimated
600,000 polling booths during the general election scheduled for
June 7.

The rectors are grouped in the Indonesian Rectors Forum, which
has established the Independent Committee for the Elections and
Democratization.

Taking part in the second congress were 139 representatives
from various colleges and universities. The first congress of
rectors was held in Bandung, West Java last November.

The nine-point code of conduct stated that poll monitors
should be free from any political interests. This includes having
no associations with any organization contesting the polls, not
receiving funds or facilities from any poll contestant and being
honest, objective and responsible to society and God.

Volunteers are also expected to respect human rights, to
serve as poll monitors of their own free will and be willing to
take an oath swearing them into their duties.

A number of independent election monitoring institutes have
been established since the founding of the Independent Election
Monitoring Committee, which monitored the 1997 polls.

Some officials, including Minister of Education and Culture
Juwono Sudarsono, have issued warnings about the possibility of
students serving as poll monitors being injured. However, the
current government is no longer opposed to independent monitors.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a memorandum of
understanding last week with the United Nations Development
Program, which is coordinating foreign donations for election
monitoring training projects.

The rector of Udayana University in Denpasar, I Ketut
Sukardika, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that students involved
in monitoring the polls should have "moral integrity" and
adequate intellectual capacity. "We will not involve students who
have been influenced by radical movements," the veterinarian said
without naming any groups.

The second congress also agreed to establish a Human Resource
Development Foundation to help monitor the elections, according
to Anton Priyatno, the rector of Surabaya University, who was
appointed secretary of the foundation.

The rector of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Lilik
Hendrajaya, was appointed chairman of the foundation and
Sukardika was named treasurer. Sujana Syafe'i, a professor at
ITB, was named executive director.

Anton said the foundation would also recruit professors and
employees from universities and colleges.

"The foundation's main task will be to form a network (of
election monitors) between state-run and private institutions of
higher education," Anton said.

Sujana said the foundation would first complete a
comprehensive study of how free, fair and safe the elections
could be expected to be. The study, which has begun, is expected
to be completed by the end of the month.

The network will also monitor all phases of the poll on
election day.

However, Sujana estimated that the foundation would only be
able to monitor 3 percent of polling booths in each province.

The foundation also aims to provide voter education for 10
percent of the population, particularly first-time voters.

Sujana also said that independent election monitors would be
trained in statistics at ITB. A network of computers would also
be installed to support the operations.

Regarding a possible overlap with other independent poll
observers, Anton suggested that all monitors cooperate in the
undertaking. The Independent Election Monitoring Committee
welcomes the additional election monitors given the vast amount
of territory to be covered by the observers.

"We could divide the country between the monitors," Anton
said, adding that the issue was being worked out.

Sujana estimated some Rp 140 billion would be needed to fund
the election monitors, and said "several conglomerates" were
ready to help as long as the use of the funds could be accounted
for.