(6 Jun 1999) English/Nat
Former U-S President Jimmy Carter is in Jakarta leading an observation delegation ahead of Monday's Indonesian elections.
Just a day before the historic vote, Carter met opposition leaders Amien Rais and Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle is expected to be the big winner.
She has urged her supporters to stick around after they go to the polling stations as insurance against cheating.
Former United States President Jimmy Carter is in Jakarta amongst hundreds of foreign election observers who will watch the polling in Indonesia on Monday.
Thousand of local volunteer monitors are also involved.
Carter has said he believes Indonesia's first open election in 44 years will be fair, democratic and peaceful.
The former president briefly met opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri.
She is the daughter of Indonesia's charismatic and still popular founding President Sukarno.
Many political analysts predict the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle, which has a huge following among the country's poor, will be the front runner in Monday's vote.
Carter has led observer teams in numerous elections and his Carter Centre is active in dispute mediation in developing nations across the globe.
The delegation he heads this time has 100 members representing 23 countries.
He said his delegation bring attention to any electoral irregularities.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I think the second thing we can contribute is access to the international media. Therefore on election day for instance there is a pattern of reports that comes in say to me and to others here in Jakarta that our observers working with domestic observers have seen irregularities that are serious. We can go directly to the officials concerned and we can make out statements to the international media."
SUPER CAPTION: Jimmy Carter, Former US President
Later Carter met pro-reform politician Amien Rais, a former university lecturer and a leading critic of the Suharto regime.
Rais has complained the blue background on the flag of his National Mandate Party turned out purple on the ballot sheet,.
He said it might get confused with the symbol of a smaller party.
Voting runs from 8 am local time until 2 p.m. in the afternoon on Monday.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
