Yogie gives guarantees on 'honest and fair' election

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. gave his word yesterday that the general election next year would be "honest and fair", although the election rules do not specify this.

Yogie, who heads the General Elections Institute, said the "direct, free, open and secret balloting" principle stated in the rules implied that elections would be honest and fair.

"This principle may look simple but it is actually very complex," he told a meeting of some 400 government prosecutors who have been assigned to the election's Committee for Supervision and Implementation.

"But that doesn't mean the principle cannot be upheld," he said, adding that the committee would need a strong will to realize the principle.

The United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), which will contest the May election against the mighty Golkar, have requested the authorities to insert the phrases "honest and fair" and "direct, open, fair and secret" in the election rules.

The two minority parties said that past elections had been far from fair and honest and that many violations went unpunished.

Yogie explained yesterday that "honest and fair" were much more difficult to quantify objectively than "direct, open, fair and secret" because they have emotional connotations.

Attorney General Singgih, who addressed the forum yesterday, reiterated that the government would not permit the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP), set up last March, to interfere with the work of the election institute.

Each polling booth would already be staffed by witnesses appointed by Golkar, PPP and PDI, he said.

"They (KIPP) can monitor the polling stations with binoculars," Singgih said smiling.

The independent committee, formed by a group of government critics, has received strong support from the two minority parties and the public despite the government's refusal to recognize it.

The electoral rules do not recognize the existence of independent organizations outside the official structure, Singgih said.

Singgih also said that a new set of election campaign rules was being drafted and would be announced in December in the form of a presidential decree.

Soeharto last month asked the National Council for Defense and Security to review the current campaign regulations and then draft new regulations that guarantee greater security and public order. (16)