With less than four weeks left to the June 7 general election, signs are growing that the polls – the most crucial this country has held in its 54-year existence – will not quite be as free and fair as the government promised they would be.

True, with the organization of the elections, from the initial preparations to the casting and counting of the votes, entirely entrusted to an independent general elections commission, there is the assurance the June 7 vote will at least be far more open and democratic than the six previous elections held under Soeharto's dictatorial New Order regime. It is the old die-hard New Order habit of employing subterfuge, however, which is promising to derail the commission's good work.

The most flagrant offense of the principles of honesty and transparency which are the prerequisites of a free and fair general election is the reported misuse of the social safety net fund, which is money loaned to Indonesia by the World Bank to help the poorest of the poor survive the economic crisis. Cases of misuse of the fund by certain political parties have been discovered by independent poll monitoring bodies in several areas across the country, including in East and West Nusa Tenggara.

Perhaps a little less morally objectionable but still a gross violation of fair play is the handing out of huge sums of money for the purpose of winning votes. Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council and prominent Golkar party official A.A. Baramuli, for example, has openly acknowledged giving money, though in a private capacity, to Golkar leaders and members in Sulawesi "as personal contributions to help those people meet their personal needs". While the veracity of Baramuli's excuse is open to argument, the question remains why he finds it expedient to demonstrate his benevolence at rallies organized by Golkar – not to mention the question of where all that money comes from.

Suspicions that public money was mismanaged to benefit certain political parties in some of the more remote areas of Indonesia were further raised last week by chairman of the National Development Planning Board Boediono's admission that some Rp 8 trillion of the Rp 17.9 trillion social safety net fund had been "misappropriated". A later statement that the "misappropriated" money actually was used to finance labor-intensive projects failed to allay suspicions.

In yet another case, reports – which have not been denied – that "money politics" at Golkar's plenary board meeting this past weekend played a role in turning the mood in favor of Habibie's nomination as the party's sole presidential candidate do not help reassure a public already skeptical of the party's ethics.

There have been other transgressions which threaten the credibility of the upcoming general election. Golkar leaflets have been found in Indonesian Red Cross food packages for victims of the recent ethnic unrest in West Kalimantan. District and subdistrict officials – who the government has assured will remain impartial – have attempted to persuade residents of their district to vote for Golkar. Government loans are said to have been promised to cooperatives in certain regions – but only to those cooperatives which join the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR).

With all the talk about a credible representative government being an absolute necessity for overcoming the economic crisis, it appears that a free and fair general election still remains no more than a slogan for all too many Indonesians, including those in positions of leadership. All political parties, but ruling Golkar in particular, bear the responsibility of eradicating the public impression that a free and fair general election is an impossible dream for this country.

Continuing to commit transgressions will not only damage the credibility of the upcoming general election, but, unless these offenses are immediately stopped, the public might perceive even an honest Golkar victory as having been achieved through manipulation. What damage that would do to the nation can only be imagined.