Claims millions missed Indonesia vote
Updated
A group of senior Indonesian political leaders say last week's general election was marred by widespread fraud and administrative errors.
The group, led by presidential hopeful Megawati Sukarnoputri, says the organisation of the polls was the worst since Indonesia moved to democracy a decade ago.
Now a group of activists are threatening to take the government to court unless it calls fresh polls for the millions of voters they say missed out.
Presenter: Joanna McCarthy
Speaker: Frans Winarta, a board member of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
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JOANNA McCARTHY, REPORTER: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has admitted that incomplete voter rolls during last week's election left some people unable to cast a ballot. There are also allegations the rolls included dead and fictitious people, that the distribution of ballot papers was delayed and that election officials were biased towards the ruling parties.
Now the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation is threatening to file lawsuits against the General Elections Commission, the KPU, the government and the President. Unofficial early counts show President Yudhoyono's Democratic Party as the winner of the election, taking just over 20 per cent of the vote. But the foundation says 45 million eligible voters were left off the rolls and it wants to see fresh polls for all who missed out.
Foundation board member Frans Winarta.
FRANS WINARTA: A lot of people complain, not only the political party but most important is the people of Indonesia in various places all over the place, all over Indonesia, complain about the absence of the invitation to vote for the ballot box at that times. I think there's about 20 per cent of the voters has not been invited to the ballot box and this is serious because that is a big margin for a country like Indonesia.
JOANNA McCARTHY: In what ways do you say the KPU showed a lack of neutrality?
FRANS WINARTA: There are complaints about their siding with certain political parties, for instance, there are reports that some of the, let's say, officers at the ballot box and also officers of the KPU are siding the political party especially during the voting. There are some officers who have been reported are guiding the voters what to elect, you know, which party they have to elect. That is pretty serious to me.
JOANNA McCARTHY: Indeed, and is this why the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute is also threatening to file suit against the government and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono?
FRANS WINARTA: Correct, because one year or let's say six months before the election, as a matter of fact, there are reports that they are not ready because the ballot box has not been sent and even the papers to, the ballot papers has not also been printed, and it has not been allocated to the various areas in Indonesia. It is a vast country, of course, as you know, so this is a very serious condition at the time, but again the government and KPU doesn't want to listen and they go ahead. Now the question is, is the presidential election going to be conducted as scheduled or is it going to be delayed, you know? That is the question because of the bad experience during the parliamentary election.
JOANNA McCARTHY: You would have seen the statement from party leaders including the PDI-P, Gerindra and Hanura, who say the organisation of these elections was the worst since Indonesia entered the reform era. Would you agree with that?
FRANS WINARTA: I think yes but most important to me is not from the political parties. The complaint comes directly from the society. That is more important. And I think there are a lot of people demanding to have, let's say, a follow-up election, you know, for those who have not been legally invited.
JOANNA McCARTHY: So when would you like to see those follow-up elections held? Would that be as soon as possible?
FRANS WINARTA: Not more than one month from the date of elections, I think, exactly 30 days from the date of election there must be a follow-up election.
