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.