Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked foreign monitors in Aceh to stay on through the province's crucial elections, planned for later this year, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
The international Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) was established in September 2005 to oversee a peace agreement between rebels and the government. The pact was signed after the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami, which killed at least 131,000 in the region.
The mission's financiers in Brussels are considering the request from President Yudhoyono, spokeswoman Faye Belnis said as quoted by AP.
AMM head Pieter Feith said both the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had asked the organization to extend its mandate. He said staying longer "will not cause a problem for us", but added that the final decision will be made in Brussels.
Aceh elections were initially set for August, but the timetable was postponed so authorities could carry out a census. They are now planned for November. Under the newly-enacted Aceh governance law, non-partisan candidates are allowed to contest local direct elections. The move paves the way for former GAM rebels to take part in the elections.
Local media outlets have touted the pairing of Ibrahim Hasyim and Cut Idawani as independent candidates in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
Meanwhile, the People's Voter Education Network (JPPR) said Wednesday it plans to host a series of public debates among candidates before the elections. In a press statement, the non-governmental organization said debates are planned in 19 districts across Aceh for candidates running in the mayoral and regental elections.
A similar forum would take place for Aceh gubernatorial contenders, it added. "As many as 6,482 volunteers of JPPR in 3,166 villages there are ready to help electoral candidates, including independent ones, appear in public debates to present their visions and programs," JPPR national coordinator Adung A. Rochman was quoted as saying in the statement.
"This step is taken as part of the people's political education and to give them access to balanced and objective information," he added.