Rivals promise clean fight

Adianto P. Simamora and Andra Wisnu , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 07/07/2009 9:53 AM | Headlines

Finding a way out: Presidential and vice presidential candidates arrive at the Constitutional Court on Monday to attend a meeting concerning the dispute over electoral roll. Among those present at the meeting were (from front left) presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri, her rival Jusuf Kalla and Constitutional Court chief Mahfud MD. JP/J. ADIGUNA

The three candidates contesting Wednesday’s presidential election have promised to ensure a fair election to curtail the possibility of disputes over the results.

The commitment was made during a two-hour meeting with the Constitutional Court on Monday.

“The three presidential hopefuls agree to run the election democratically with the hope that they will not have to come to the constitutional court office to dispute the election after the fact,” court chief Mahfud MD said after the meeting Monday.

Megawati Soekarnoputri and running mate Prabowo Subianto, along with Vice President Jusuf Kalla and running mate Wiranto, attended the meeting; President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s running mate Boediono appeared without the incumbent.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary, the Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) head Nur Hidayat Sardini, Attorney General Hendarman Supanji and National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara were also present.

Mahfud said that the court would not handle any possible disputes among the presidential candidates.

“We will only handle disputes lodged by presidential candidates who complain against the KPU.”

Earlier in the day, Kalla and Megawati visited the KPU in a push to resolve disputes over the electoral roll, which could cost some 49 million people their votes.

The move managed to push the KPU to allow both pair’s campaign teams to access and help fix the roll.

“We will work together to eliminate all registered but ineligible voters, including multiple-registered voters, underage voters, ghost voters and active military and police officers,” said Hafiz who is working with the KPU to screen the list of voters.

Hafiz said he had instructed elections bodies nationwide to provide copies of the electoral roll to the campaign teams of all candidates.

“All heads of neighbourhood units [RT] must get the lists as soon as possible,” he said.

Both candidate pairs said they were glad the KPU had finally allowed them to see the rolls.

Kalla and Megawati also met with prominent religious figures at the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) office to gain support to solve the electoral roll problem. The candidates were greeted by NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi, M. D. Situmorang, Chief of the Indonesian Bishop Conference (KWI) and Dr. Andreas Yewangu, Chief of the Indonesian Communion of Churches, all of whom urged the KPU to fix the electoral roll as soon as possible. (bbs)