In Indonesia, the president is "elected" by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) every five years. The MPR usually meets about a year after the election of a new House of Representatives, including the appointment of its 100 military members. The MPR comprises all 500 members of the House of Representatives plus another 500 members appointed by the (outgoing) president. Suharto has never faced a rival candidate.
The next House of Representatives election is likely to occur early in 1997. In the past, the majority of the pro-democracy forces have tended to boycott the elections because of the tight and repressive controls. These range from military vetting of candidates, government intervention in the internal affairs of the non-government parties, bans on criticism of government officials and disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of political prisoners through to a legislative prohibition of more than three parties.
At the moment, however, there is widespread sentiment in support of Megawati Sukarnoputri as a rival candidate for president. There is growing pressure for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to announce that she will be a candidate in 1998.
If this announcement is made soon, it has the potential to turn the House of Representatives elections into the first round of a presidential competition.
In this context, a broad range of democratic forces have banded together to form the Independent Committee for Election Monitoring (KIPP). Its presidium is chaired by Gunawan Muhammad, former editor of the banned Tempo magazine. Mulyana W. Kusumah of the Legal Aid Institute has been elected secretary-general. Other presidium members include Budiman Sujatmiko, PRD chairperson, and Beathor Suryadi from PIJAR (Centre for Democratic Action and Reform). Outspoken political figures such as Haji Princen, Sri Bintang Pamungkas and Muhktar Pakpahan have thrown their weight behind the project, as have a wide range of intellectuals, church figures, and non-government community development officials.
The PRD's affiliated mass organisations, such as Indonesian Centre for Labour Studies and Students in Solidarity with Democracy in Indonesia, are also campaigning in support of KIPP.
KIPP's aim is to mobilise the maximum public pressure on the government to expand the possibility of real campaigns in support of the non-government parties and general democratic reforms. PRD's main contribution will be to mobilise worker and student support for KIPP's campaigns.