Jakarta – A students' poll watchdog has said its network of 105,000 observers had found Indonesia's June 7 elections to be free and fair despite instances of irregularities in several areas,

The University Network for Free and Fair Election (UNFREL) said in a statement issued late Thursday its observers reported that 97 percent of voters felt they were allowed cast their ballots freely without intimidation.

UNFREL also said that 97 percent of ballot boxes were secured and 86 percent of the provisional poll results which have been tallied were accurate.

The group deployed 105,000 observers in 22 provinces to monitor the first polls since the fall of president Suharto last year.

However the group recorded an "insignificant" number of cases of intimidation and procedural violations which they said have been reported to the election supervisory committee.

"The findings allow us to conclude that in general the polling and counting processes during the voting day have been relatively smooth," UNFREL said in the statement.

UNFREL said vote-buying – such as voters being offerred money or food before they went to the polls – was recorded in provinces such as Sulawesi, Riau, West Java and remote Irian Jaya.

The group suggested the elections commission nullify poll results in North Aceh, East Aceh and Pidie – three districts in Aceh province worst affected by a decade-long military operation against separatists, the Jakarta Post reported Friday.

"Voters were afraid to attend polling places because of threats and intimidation, not only from separatist movement activists, but also from government officials," it said in a press conference Thursday.

UNFREL said voting in North Aceh was only held in eight out of 4,512 polling stations, with only 2.2 percent of eligible voters participating. It urged the commission not to re-run the polls or agree to extend the voting period in the three districts.