Rectors to set up poll watch

Rectors to set up poll watch

JAKARTA (JP): Rectors of all institutes of higher learning in
Indonesia have agreed to establish a forum among themselves to
monitor the general election scheduled for June 7, 1999.

The forum would provide moral support to students who had
acted as the spearhead of the reform movement, the forum's
executive director, Prof. Soedjana Sjafii, said on the sidelines
of the rectors' second meeting here on Saturday.

The forum would adopt the legal status of a foundation and be
one of the intellectuals' efforts to ensure that the next general
election proceeds directly, freely, fairly and honestly, and
uphold human rights, he said as quoted by Antara.

In addition, the forum would hopefully also ensure the
legitimacy of the poll results at both national and
international levels, he said.

The forum's establishment was a synergic educational effort
and a contribution of the higher learning institutes to the
creation of a civilized, just and peaceful reform climate, he
said.

Asked what linkage there would be between the rectors' forum
and the non-governmental Independent Committee for Elections
Monitoring (KIPP) set up by a pro-reform group of intellectuals
in Jakarta, he said the rectors' forum would first register with
the National Elections Committee (KPU) before cooperating with
other general election monitoring committees.

"We will hold dialogs with other general election monitoring
bodies to establish mutually beneficial cooperation, so that no
single group will dominate the monitoring effort," he said.