National

PDI-P Chairperson Suspects Foreign Involvement in Election
Saturday, 10 July, 2004 | 00:32 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairperson, Kwik Kian Gie, has accused former US President Jimmy Carter and US political observer from Ohio State University, William Liddle, of having interfered in the holding of the presidential election in Indonesia.


According to Kwik, this is indicated by the announcement of the election’s quick count as conducted by National Democratic Institute (NDI) and another research institution, LP3ES, several days ago.


“Liddle is the one dominating the quick count, not the Indonesian Survey Board (LSI) nor LP3ES. These institutions could predict the result of the election accurately. And, Liddle and Jimmy Carter are the ones behind this situation,” Kwik said after a cabinet meeting in Jakarta on Thursday (08/07).


Kwik, who is State Minister of National Development Planning, also accused Carter and Liddle of having intervened in the presidential election although they were only present as election observers in Indonesia.


He also emphasized the involvement of Liddle and several people in the LSI, such as Saiful Mujani and Denny J.A. in the quick count result.


LSI Survey Director, Saiful Mujani, denied that foreign people had been involved in the quick count result.


According to him, the political survey and the quick count result on the presidential election come as the efforts made by Indonesian people.


He also noted that the quick count system was already conducted in the 1999 election.


“Carter and Liddle have nothing to do with what we have done in the survey and the quick count,” said Mujani. (Sapto P-Tempo News Room)