TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Prabowo-Sandi National Success Team (Badan Pemenangan Nasional - BPN), encouraged election organizer to invite international witnesses to oversee the 2019 Presidential Election. A member of the Prabowo-Sandi BPN Ferry Juliantoro, said that international supervision is needed to minimize potential riots due to lack of supervision.

"We appreciate local witnesses, but we need to be transparent so international oversight institution can participate in monitoring the election. More oversight will minimize cheating opportunity, social risks, and unrest due to lack of election oversight," Ferry said in a discussion event in Menteng, Central Jakarta on Saturday, December 15, 2018.

Ferry criticized that currently, the performance of election supervisors are limited to announcing violations and lack in rendering sanctions for violations.

In response to the request, Executive Director of the Association of Election and Democracy (Perludem) Titi Anggraini asserted that allowing more international supervisors is a good step. "Since the 1999 election, international supervisors were always present. We support [the initiative]," Titi added.

However, Titi said that the presence of international supervisors should not be interpreted as a lack of trust in local supervisors. Since 1999, international election supervisors are allowed to enter Indonesia. The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) even initiated the Electoral Studies Program during the 2018 Regional Election.

Participants of the program were representatives of international election organizers. The program was expected to improve cooperation among election organizers, and hoped to serve as a medium to share information related to elections in each country.

DEWI NURITA