'Witnesses not to sign vote reports'

JAKARTA: The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Wednesday that monitors of the 2004 general election would not be required to sign the reports on ballot counts in order to speed up the election process.

According to KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti, asking election monitors to do so would only slow down the count. He did not explain why.

In the 1999 election, election monitors had to sign the reports on the ballot counts they had witnessed.

Indonesia will hold a legislative election in April 2004 and direct presidential election in July. At least 24 parties have qualified to participate in the legislative election.