Jakarta – The Indonesian government will break new ground in the May general election by allowing foreign observers free access to the polls.
"We will invite neighbouring and foreign countries to monitor the election," Home Affairs Minister Yogie Memet, also chairman of the National Election Institute, was quoted as saying in yesterday's editions of the Jakarta Post daily.
The paper said it was the first time that the government had declared the general election officially open to foreign observers.
It said the move appeared to be a concession to minority parties who had complained about irregularities in previous elections.
Mr Memet, speaking after signing the official parliamentary candidates' list, warned the press should remain objective and not mislead foreigners.
"Just write the facts. Otherwise, foreigners get different and negative impressions of our election process," he said, without elaborating which countries would be invited to observe the May 29 polls for 425 parliamentary seats.
Meanwhile, a battle over political colours in Central Java took a new twist as residents of the province's capital of Semarang complained that local officials were forcing people to buy yellow wallets for official documents. Yellow is the colour of the ruling Golkar party.
Members of the country's two opposition parties – the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democracy Party (PDI) – have said Semarang residents applying for new identity cards or renewals have been treated badly or even denied service for refusing to buy the wallets.
"The government officials have openly helped Golkar instead of staying neutral," deputy chief of PPP's Semarang chapter, Mr Haryono, told the Post.
Central Java has been the centre of continuing colour wars. Solo, a major town in the province, has seen tree trunks, fences, sidewalks and lamp posts of its central square change colour at least five times in the last months.
The Solo mayor last year ordered objects around the square to be painted Golkar's colour of yellow, angering many residents.
PPP members in early January changed the colour to white, saying it was a neutral colour not linked to any political entity.
Golkar supporters repainted the white with yellow a few weeks later, followed closely by supporters of PDI leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, ousted last June by a government-backed party faction, who daubed everything in the national colours of red and white.
It was later repainted in yellow again by city officials.
Golkar has won every election since 1971. The country's six-million strong civil servants are required to vote for Golkar, and it is known widely that spouses and children of civil servants are also expected to vote for the ruling party.