UGM students to monitor general election

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Gadjah Mada University (UGM) is planning to replace the obligatory community service program -- which is traditionally undertaken by undergraduate students in their final year -- with a program to monitor the 2004 general election, a top UGM official has said.

Gadjah Mada University rector Sofian Effendi said that the plan was made on the possibility that the General Elections Commission (KPU) would call on universities, including UGM, not to run the community service program in rural areas ahead of the election, for fear that it could fuel tension there.

UGM, the oldest and largest university in Indonesia, held a similar program in the last election in 1999, when it was perceived as a success.

"The program will not affect students, because, having participated in the election monitoring program, they can still be awarded the credit and do not need to wait for the traditional programs after the election is over," said Sofian.

For this election, the program is in phases, namely April 1 to April 15 for the legislative election and July 1 to July 15 for the first phase of the presidential election.

Some 500 students are set to participate in each of the two phases, making a total of about 1,000 students in the program for the 2004 election. The legislative election will be held on April 5, while the presidential election will be held on July 5.

The election monitoring program, according to Sofian, would be held in four regencies in Yogyakarta province: Bantul, Gunungkidul, Kulonprogo and Sleman. These include a total of 20 subdistricts, 60 villages, 240 hamlets and 240 polling stations (TPS).

The main activities of the students will include dissemination of the election law, voter education and election monitoring activities. The first two will be carried out mostly through lectures and participatory discussions.

The main subjects to be focused on will include the election regulations, the electoral system, voters' rights and obligations, and the elections schedule.

Voters, especially first-time ones, will be the principal target audience of the activities.

Sofian also said that the participating students would not be allowed to get involved in any political activities while on the program. Anyone found to be thus involved would be disqualified.

UGM is now awaiting a license from the KPU, so that it can immediately proceed with the program.

Other top universities in Indonesia are planning to follow suit.