(10 Jun 1999) English/Nat

Asian observers have given the thumbs-up to Indonesia's historic general election.

A-N-F-R-E-L, the Asian Network for Free Elections, said that there were some irregularities but not enough to cause major concern.

But nervous police bolstered security on Thursday at potential hotspots in Jakarta as a painfully slow election count fed anxiety about vote-rigging.

The national election commissioner has again defended himself from continuing criticism of the slowness of the reporting of results.

The Asian Network for Free Elections or A-N-F-R-E-L, employed 75 observers from 18 Asian countries.

Between them they covered 20 provinces.

They noted problems, such as the lack of voter education, and the slowness of the counting, but ultimately their assessment was a positive one.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The people of Indonesia have freely expressed their will in the process that went reasonably smoothly and was without major incidents or major irregularities."
SUPER CAPTION: General Sayud Kerdpol, ANFREL

But concerns remain about the painfully slow tallying and reporting of the votes.

Three days on from the close of the polls, unofficial results released to journalists showed that just over 10 percent of the votes had been counted.

Several political parties have expressed their suspicion that something underhand is going on.

Election observers from the European Union have added their voices to the concern.

Indonesian officials deny there's any meddling with the process.

On Thursday the election commissioner said comparisons with other countries, like the Philippines, where the results of the election came in quickly, were unfair.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Some questions like why can the Philippines do it in 24 hours, yet how long was the preparation in the Philippines....was it one year, two years? In the past we have prepared it in three years. But now in three months, so all personnel and P-P-D and P-P-S is not well trained, they only have training of one day."
SUPER CAPTION: Rudini, National Election Commissioner

On the streets and in the media though, there is a growing sense of frustration and disappointment.

The results will be anxiously awaited as a test of the new order in a country which will become the world's third largest democracy.

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