Supreme Court appoints poll monitoring body

JAKARTA (JP): Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarwata on Monday installed the 30 members of the Official Election Monitoring Committee, which will focus on monitoring violations committed by political parties ahead of the June 7 general election.

Justice Soedarko, who was appointed to lead the monitoring committee, said after the ceremony at the Supreme Court building that the committee would monitor all political activities ahead of the election.

"The 30-member committee will hold its maiden plenary session on Tuesday to discuss our work program and urgent matters, including possible violations by parties."

He said that the 1999 law on general elections laid out the committee's main tasks. He added he would coordinate with the General Elections Commission on how to proceed with the monitoring and how to handle violations.

Lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, a member of the monitoring body, said that during Tuesday's plenary session he would raise the issue of the agricultural aid Japan's ruling Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) allegedly channeled through the ruling Golkar Party.

Earlier, the chairman of the National Elections Committee, Jacob Tobing, said the Supreme Court should investigate reports LDP channeled aid through Golkar. The allegations also were discussed in the General Elections Commission's plenary session on Monday. The 1999 law on political parties bars parties from receiving foreign aid.

Golkar deputy chairman Abdul Gafur last Friday signed an agreement with LDP stating the latter's commitment to provide financial aid to Indonesian farmers.

Justice Syafiudin Kartasasmita, who helped select the members of the election monitoring body, said the 30 members were chosen because of their affiliations with independent institutions, including universities and domestic poll watchdogs.

Members include Ali Yafie, chairman of Indonesian Ulema Council; Sularso Sopater, secretary-general of the Indonesian Churches Communion; Siti Hartati Murdaya, chairwoman of the Indonesian Buddhist Council; Ramelan Surbakti, a lecturer at Airlangga University in Surabaya; Mudji Sutrisno, a lecturer at the Driyarkara Institute of Philosophy; Rosita S. Noor, a rights activist; Miriam Budiardjo of the University of Indonesia; Eddie Nalapraya, a former governor of Jakarta; and Ari Purwanti, a student at the University of Indonesia.

Arbi Sanit, a political scientist, and Zumrotin K. Soesilo of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation, declined seats on the monitoring committee. He had said it would be impossible for him to accept the position because he was involved in "the struggle to oust Golkar from power".

Separately party activists such as Faisal Basri from the National Mandate Party said the Commission should be dissolved, following a report that unidentified members had asked for a monthly salary of Rp 10 million.

In Maragondon, the Philippines, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter told Reuters on Monday he was likely to accept an invitation to help monitor the June 7 general election, saying the event was a big step toward restoring stability.

Carter, who runs the Carter Center Policy Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, said he had been invited by President B.J. Habibie and major political parties. He said he would decide "within a week" on whether to accept. Carter will travel to Indonesia after a weeklong Philippine visit.

In Yogyakarta the secretary-general of the Ministry of Information, IGK Manila said that state-owned radio network RRI and state-owned television network TVRI would not be biased in election rally coverage. In the past, the stations allocated a greater amount of coverage to the ruling Golkar. (23/rms/edt)