Who's afraid of KIPP?

Who's afraid of KIPP?

Anyone concerned with the well being and unity of Indonesia should be concerned about the current political situation, particularly with regard to the election issue. Ever since the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) was established last month, mounting turmoil has beset the country's politics.

Practically no day has passed without contradictory remarks about this election watchdog coming from different officials, adding confusion to the turmoil. There is no question that there is a sharp difference of opinion among government officials concerning the establishment of the poll monitoring committee. And in the last few days the hardliners have gained the upper hand. Comments such as: "We don't need an election watchdog", or "We have to be vigilant against those who want to disrupt the election", are heard more often than other softer remarks.

All these things obviously have confused the public, and may overheat the political situation. What we are most concerned about is the growing tendency among the anti-KIPP parties to resort to harassment, and even force, to express their animosity toward the poll monitoring body. There are also efforts to indulge in character assassination by calling the leaders of the committee "people with problems".

In Medan, North Sumatra, for example, scores of unidentified people pelted the local legal aid office with stones last Sunday when a number of pro-democratic activists were having a meeting to establish a branch office for the election watchdog, forcing them to abandon their plan.

We don't know what will happen next, but if this trend goes unchecked, and if certain government officials continue to tacitly endorse this harassment tactic, then the situation could turn nasty. Disunity could set in, with the people splitting into different camps and fighting against each other

And suppose something bad happened. It is likely that the members of the committee would be charged as the culprits and punished for their perceived faults.

We believe that what has happened so far is an indication that many people here still don't understand the essence of democracy, which is respecting differences of opinion. They will always consider those who don't share ideas similar to theirs as enemies, and will treat them accordingly. Of course it is saddening, but one does have to admit that these people are products of our current political system.

One could surmise that all of us should understand that the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom to assemble. Thus, for a layman it is mind boggling that anyone would consider setting up an independent poll watchdog unconstitutional.

The strong opposition to the independent poll monitoring committee has left many wondering why certain people are wary of such a watchdog? The argument that this organization, or other poll watchdogs for that matter, will interfere in the election mechanism, is groundless.

Logic tells us that it is unlikely that anyone who is not a member of the official Election Supervision Committee will be allowed to watch or intervene in the election process. And we are afraid that if the Independent Election Monitoring Committee is continuously harassed, people may think, or be led to think, that there is, indeed, something in the election process that is hidden from public knowledge, either some kind of vote rigging, or ballot manipulation.

Is there really a possibility that the existence of the independent monitoring committee will disrupt the election process, or cause security problems? We doubt it. With its limited capability, it is impossible for an independent poll watchdog, such as KIPP, to recruit enough people to monitor all of the thousands of polling booths. The independent committee's strongest point is its ability to develop its image as an independent entity, which wants to have a freer and fairer election.

We are also very much in doubt that this committee would be able to develop into a kind of people's power movement at the present, because it remains a middle-class phenomenon. The only thing that might justify uneasiness among the powers that be is the fact that the establishment of this independent poll monitoring body means that for the first time in history almost all pro-democracy parties here have found a common platform.

In short, we have to be wise in dealing with the matter of this poll watchdog. The growing number of people who wish to enjoy more democracy and transparency should be treated with wisdom, otherwise stronger and stronger rumbles will be heard.