Students to monitor election

Students to monitor election

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Thousands of students from more than 100 universities across the
country are expected to be involved in monitoring and voter
education work during next year's general elections, it was
announced on Friday.

The rector of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University,
Sofian Efendi, said that the Rectors Forum, a grouping of more
than 100 university rectors from throughout Indonesia, had agreed
to get students involved in the upcoming elections.

The students's involvement could be substituted for their
obligatory community service, which would not be held next year
due to the elections. Final-year students in Indonesia must do
community service work before completing their studies.

Students were also involved in monitoring the 1999 elections.

The students could be drafted in to educate voters or to
monitor both the legislative and presidential elections.

"We will train them first. Therefore, the forum will cooperate
with the central and local offices of the General Elections
Commission (KPU), as well as the General Elections Monitoring
Committee (Panwaslu)," Sofian said.

He said that each university would fund the work of the
students.