Soeharto happy with voting process

JAKARTA (JP): Hours after casting his ballot along with most of the population, President Soeharto said he was satisfied with yesterday's smooth election and hoped that order would be maintained until final results were released.

"Praise be to Allah, the President is satisfied with the election process," Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. said after accompanying Soeharto to monitor the election's preliminary results at his house on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

Attorney General Singgih was also present yesterday evening.

Yogie chairs the General Elections Institute and the National Elections Committee, while Singgih heads the General Elections Supervision Committee.

President Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and Minister of Information Harmoko have access to the election result database.

The National Elections Committee said Tuesday that computer access was restricted to five senior government officials.

Yogie said the President asked the elections committee to continue counting votes in accordance with the law.

"I assure you the ballot counting is free from manipulation and rigging. We carefully count the voting results sent by provincial elections committees, who compile votes from districts and local polling stations," he said.

Earlier yesterday Soeharto and his family joined Indonesia's 124.7 million voters by voting in the country's seventh general election since gaining independence in 1945.

Soeharto was accompanied by his eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana and her husband Indra Rukmana, eldest son Sigit Harjoyudanto and his wife Elsye Ratnawati, second son Bambang Trihatmodjo and his wife Halimah.

Soeharto's other daughter, Siti Hedijati Herijadi, was also present but not accompanied by her husband Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, because soldiers do not vote.

Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra and his wife Ardhia Pramesti Regita Cahyani Soerjosoebandoro also voted, as did Soeharto's granddaughters Danti Indriastuti Rukmana and Retno Widowati Sigit.

The President looked relaxed while waiting for his turn to vote. With a pocket camera, he snapped pictures of a gaggle of journalists covering the event.

He then inspected a polling station in Kuningan, South Jakarta and another one on Jl. Pejambon, Central Jakarta, with Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and City Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata.

Absence

At one of his visits Soeharto found that one party's scrutineer was not present.

Reports poured in from many areas that scrutineers were not at many polling stations.

Most Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and United Development Party (PPP) scrutineers were absent for several reasons, mostly because of intimidation by rivals, party officials said.

Yogie said many official party scrutineers failed to turn up but that most polling booths could provide independent volunteers to replace them.

Golkar chairman Harmoko cast his ballot in Rengasdengklok, West Java.

Despite Golkar being assured of a comfortable victory he said "it's better for all contestants, including Golkar, to wait for the final results of the voting."

Golkar won 68 percent of the vote in 1992.

PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, voted near his home in Widya Chandra housing complex in South Jakarta.

He praised the smooth voting process, but said his party would remain on guard against possible rigging.

PDI chairman Soerjadi voted in the Grinting area, Kebayoran Baru, also in South Jakarta.

His rival, Megawati Soekarnoputri, whom he ousted last year, was away in East Java yesterday.

Meanwhile, chief of the Jakarta Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso said voting in Jakarta and its surrounding cities of Tangerang and Bekasi proceeded safely.

He said the thousands of troops deployed would be gradually withdrawn.

He recently said that 25,000 security personnel were posted around Greater Jakarta.

Yesterday, he said there would be some dissatisfaction over election results, but that it should be expressed in a proper way.

In Surakarta, Central Java, chief of the Diponegoro Military Command Maj. Gen. Subagyo H.S. denied angry crowds had burned polling booths.

"There was an attempt to damage booths in Begendan village, Pamanukan district, but the security personnel moved fast to foil it," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

In Denpasar, Armed Forces sociopolitical affairs chief Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid played down rumors of more unrest and bomb scares.

"Those rumors were spread to scare people off, but in reality, there was nothing. They were just rumors," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

"Without prompting, the security personnel would immediately act. The situation wouldn't be allowed to go on," he said.

He promised security authorities would do their utmost to ensure the election went smoothly until the last vote was counted.

National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo called on people to remain calm and not worry.

"The situation is safe," he was quoted by Antara as saying. (team)

Holiday mood -- Page 2

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