Witnesses ready to oversee ballot-counting process

Witnesses ready to oversee ballot-counting process

Fabiola Desy Unidjadja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta

Having learned from disputes in the legislative election that
were mostly the result of lax control over ballot counting,
campaign teams have all prepared witnesses who will oversee
polling stations during the July 5 poll and vote-counting
process.

With just 10 days to go, the campaign team for each ticket has
been recruiting witnesses, which will cost some Rp 150 billion
(US$16 million) per party.

The presence of witnesses from each of the successful teams is
mandatory to avoid possible electoral disputes.

An Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) official
told The Jakarta Post recently the party would have five
witnesses at each of a total 581,393 polling stations across the
country.

"They will witness the ballot counting in shifts. We shall pay
Rp 50,000 to each person in compensation," said the official,
whose party has nominated Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim
Muzadi as respectively its presidential and vice presidential
candidates.

During the April 5 legislative election, most of the 24
contending political parties were short of witnesses to monitor
the ballot count, which could last 24 hours, and secure copies of
the official result.

Consequently, the Constitutional Court rejected most of a
total of 273 complaints filed by the parties due to lack of
evidence.

Aulia Rahman, the coordinator of the campaign team for
presidential candidate Wiranto and running mate Solahuddin Wahid,
said his party would deploy seven witnesses at each polling
station.

"We must ensure that the ballot count runs well and we'll
secure all necessary documentation in the event of possible
disputes," he told the Post after a meeting with the
Constitutional Court on Friday.

Aulia did not say how much would be paid to such witnesses,
but observed, "It's a necessity when running a political
machine".

"Most of the witnesses will be from Golkar, but some are from
the National Awakening Party (PKB) as our partner. We are
briefing the witnesses about the procedures in the field and what
documents they must get hold of," he said.

The campaign team of presidential candidate Amien Rais and
running mate Siswono Yudohusodo said that it would post two
witnesses only at each station.

"That's sufficient. They're not supposed to leave the scene
before the count is over," team member Patrialis Akbar said.

The campaign teams of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla
and Hamzah Haz-Agum Gumelar tickets said they had witnesses
ready.

Constitutional Court Chairman Jimly Asshiddiqie warned the
campaign teams to prepare their witnesses well because he
predicted that supporters of the candidates would be "more
emotional" in this the first direct presidential election in the
country.

"Our verdict is final and binding. There will be one winner
only. A successful complaint from the team of one ticket might
annul the victory of another," he said.