Jakarta – A shadowy group has been threatening independent election monitors in Southeast Sulawesi, as more information emerges from there of the ruling Golkar Party having used money and intimidation to win support.
Members of Universities for a Free and Fair Election (UNFREL) in Muna district have received anonymous late-night phone calls from people ordering them to declare that the June 7 general election was conducted transparently without any incidents of fraud.
"The offenders admit they are representing certain public figures and others in the district of Muna. They want us to announce the election was free and fair in Muna," La Amini, coordinator of the local UNFREL chapter, said on Saturday in the provincial capital of Kendari.
At least 21 parties in Muna have rejected the results of vote counting in Muna, claiming some local officials have sided with Golkar and cheated.
Amini said the election in Muna was chock full of fraud, so UNFREL certainly won't be declaring it to have been free and fair.
"UNFREL will maintain its stance as an independent election watchdog. We won't influenced by any other political interests," he said.
He then gave a few examples of election fraud. He said many village chiefs in Lawa subdistrict intimidated impoverished villagers who had recently received development aid.
Despite the fact that most of the aid came from abroad, the village heads ordered all those who had received to vote for Golkar. Entire neighborhoods in the area were instructed to vote for Golkar as a form of barter for the aid.
"In another case, a village chief in Kusambi subdistrict conducted a dawn attack at 6 on the morning of the election by giving money to some families. They were asked to vote for Golkar," Amini said. However, he admitted a few reports of fraud have been exaggerated.
Head of public relations at UNFREL, Iwan Rompo, said that in the district of Napanbalano, many ballot cards had already been used to vote for a certain party before they were handed to voters. He did not name the party.