Watchdog expects local polls to be success

Watchdog expects local polls to be success

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The unprecedented direct presidential and legislative elections
last year were widely praised as free and fair.

One of the organizations that contributed a great deal to the
successful elections was the International Foundation for
Election Systems (IFES).

Prior to the legislative election in April 2004, IFES provided
significant support, including training and education for both
election officials and voters.

IFES also advised the General Elections Commission (KPU) as
regards the drawing up of campaign finance regulations and the
timely registration of candidates, as well as monitoring people's
political preferences through a series of nationwide surveys.

Indonesian IFES chief of party, Victor Butler, said that IFES
assistance and support helped Indonesia produce an enhanced and
impartial electoral framework compared to previous elections.

The electoral management bodies have also developed, with
improved capacity to carry out their work.

"I think we're now in a situation where the support work at
the KPU is coming to a conclusion," Butler said.

The IFES office here, therefore, will be closed on March 31,
with the termination of its project funding.

However, the organization's presence in the country will be
maintained, although limited to essential, local staff.

"Nothing is finalized yet, but we would like to continue our
work here. We see that there are still many things to be done.
People keep asking us for additional support," Butler said.

Aside from the publication of a post-election national survey,
IFES is preparing some collaborative ventures with the Regional
Representatives Council (DPD) to build up its capacity to reach
out to its constituents.

"We might do some work with the elections for local chief
executives as well, as there will be a need for support during
these elections. It is an important further step in cementing the
democratic process and democratic framework in Indonesia," said
Butler.

It is a bit worrying, he said, that while the date for the
start of the project has been set for June, the mechanisms for
the local elections has not been finalized yet.

"We're lacking information at present. It's not really clear
whether it's about the funding, the regulations ... There are
only bits and pieces, not a clear picture."

However, Butler said this was not an unusual problem in a new
democracy like Indonesia.

"Sometimes we have to deliver things and make the best of the
situation that we have and make it work, and election people here
are very good at that. I'm sure the same professionalism (as
shown in the general election) will be brought to the next
elections," he said.

Butler said he was optimistic about the democratic process in
the country, despite the problems facing the people elected, such
as the recent brawl in the House of Representatives and the
emergence of so many parties.

"In a newly democratic country, a high level of expectation is
raised, but it's very difficult to fulfill that in a short period
of time. It took hundreds of years in Europe, and yet no system
is perfect. Every system is improved, refined, developed," said
Butler.

Founded in 1987, IFES is a non-profit organization aimed at
supporting the building of democratic societies.

It does a great deal of its work on the ground with the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID), and
processes the needs of particular countries that USAID thinks
need support.

With staff specialized in the law, civil society, good governance,
election administration, applied research, human rights, gender
issues and information technology solutions, IFES has developed
and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democratic solutions
in more than 100 countries.

According to Butler, in terms of population spread over a
large geographical area, Indonesia faces the same problems as
Nigeria, where IFES is helping address the problem of corruption.

"What is enlightening is that you are asking people to make a
choice. Starting from that common perception, we work on how
people make the choice, formulating the mechanism for enabling
people to do that, etc.," Butler said.