Students want to witness polls

Students want to witness polls

SEMARANG: The Central Java chapter of the United Development
Party (PPP) said it has received applications from students
volunteering to represent the party as witnesses at polling
booths in the 1997 general election.

"I cannot say how many precisely, but hundreds have come to us
expressing their readiness," Harmito Agustono, deputy secretary
of PPP Central Java, told Antara.

The applications were in response to PPP's announcement that
it is forming its own election watch groups to monitor the
election on polling day. The decision was taken because party
leaders said much of the cheating in past elections went
unpunished.

Harminto said PPP Central Java has recruited 75 law graduates,
he said.

"We're encouraged by this expression of support. We will have
to discuss with other party officials if we can accept them all
or not," said Harminto, who is also a member of the Central Java
legislative council.

He added that the party welcomed the initiatives of a number
of non-governmental organizations to form an election watch body
to observe the polls in 1997. "It's not against the law.
Certainly it is also our concern as well as theirs to ensure that
we have a clean and fair election," he said. (emb)