PBB Critizes Decision Annuling Ban on Quick Vote Count

Jakarta (Antara) - The Crescent and Star Party (PBB) has criticized the Constitutional Court's decision annulling a ban on quick vote count. The results of the quick count conducted by pollsters and announced before 01.00 p.m. can influence public opinion and vote counting by local election committees (PPS), PBB Chairman MS Kaban said, while campaigning for his party here on Saturday. "This nation has not been honest for quite a long time. Poll stations must be supervised. Given the Constitutional Court's decision allowing quick counts, the vote counting by pollsters can influence vote counting," he told hundreds of PBB cadres. Kaban asked PBB cadres and sympathizers to supervise all stages of voting, starting from poll stations, all phases of vote counting, to distribution of ballot boxes at all levels. He said the quick count reminded the nation of general elections in the New Order regime in which vote tallies could be known before local poll committees started counting votes. "That amounts to general elections during the New Order regime, in which general elections had not been held and many had reported vote tallies to Pak Harto (former president Soeharto)," he said. Kaban, who is also former forestry minister, further expressed his disappointment with a number of pollsters who often place PBB in a lower position with low electability. He accused pollsters of discrediting PBB, while cadres and supporters of the party display higher loyalties. (*) Reporting by Indra Arief Pribadi