Preliminary Pages
During September 2011 members of the Joint Standing
Committee on Electoral Matters visited Indonesia and Tonga as part of the Asia
Pacific Parliamentary Committee Exchange program.
Indonesia with its population of over 200 million, and Tonga
with little over 100 000 people, are demographically very different
countries in the Asia Pacific region. One thing they have in common is that
both are making the important transition to democratic governance, with
Indonesia starting its democratic journey in 1999 and Tonga holding its first
democratic election in 2010.
The delegation greatly appreciated the time and effort of
the many individuals and organisations in Indonesia and Tonga that met with us
during our visit. The program included a combination of high level meetings and
opportunities for delegates to hear first hand individuals’ experiences of their
country’s democratic progress and their aspirations for a democratic future.
This was of great assistance to delegates to better appreciate the democratic
transition underway in these still relatively new democracies.
Through its governance and electoral support programs,
Australia is playing a role in assisting these countries to make practical
democratic improvements. This visit provided a valuable opportunity for
delegates to gain an appreciation of the strong relationships that the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AusAID and the Australian Electoral
Commission, are building with electoral authorities and key stakeholders in the
Asia Pacific.
The effective conduct of elections is an important component
of good governance and viable democracies, and was of particular interest to
the delegation. It is important for Australia to remain engaged in Indonesia
and Tonga, and the broader Asia Pacific region, and provide the governance and
electoral support needed to help our neighbours realise their democratic
aspirations.
I thank my fellow delegates for their participation and
commitment to the demanding program and contribution to a productive and
informative delegation visit.
The Hon Alan Griffin MP
Delegation
Leader
The delegation thanks His Excellency Mr Greg Moriarty, the
Ambassador to Indonesia, and High Commissioner Thomas Roth in Tonga, for
providing the delegation with valuable briefings and guidance on undertaking
successful visits to the respective countries.
In Jakarta, the delegation appreciated the opportunity to
meet with: Vice President Boediono; Mr Irman Guzman, Speaker of the Regional
Representatives Council of Indonesia; members of Commission II; Professor
Djohermansyah Djohan, Director General for Regional Autonomy, Ministry of Home
Affairs; members of the Indonesian Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee
and Indonesia-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group; and Commissioners
Nuryanti, Endang and Aziz of the General Elections Commission. The delegation
also met with the Director of the International Foundation for Electoral
Systems, Indonesian media and representatives of relevant non-government
organisations.
The delegation appreciates the work of the Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officers in the planning and coordination of
the delegation program for its visit to Indonesia, the in-country support and
briefings, and the briefings provided prior to the delegation’s departure. In
particular, the delegation extends its thanks to DFAT representatives Mr
Michael Bliss and Mr Julian Bowen, and AusAID representatives, Ms Victoria
Coakley and Ms Elizabeth St George.
Thanks also go to the Australian Electoral Commission
representative in Indonesia, Mr Patrick Satie and local AEC officer Ms Erika
Widyaningsih, who provided the delegation with informative briefings on the
operation of elections in Indonesia, and accompanied the delegation to polling
stations during the local election in Yogyakarta on 25 September 2011.
At the time of the delegation’s visit, the then King of
Tonga, His Majesty King George Tupou V, was out of the country and so it was
not possible to call on His Majesty. Regrettably, in March 2012, the King
passed away in Hong Kong and was succeeded by his brother, His Majesty King
Tupou VI.
The delegation appreciated the opportunity to meet with: the
Acting Prime Minister, the Hon Samiu Vaipulu; the Speaker of the Legislative
Assembly of Tonga, Lord Lasike; the Minister for Justice, the Hon Clive
Edwards; and a number of Tongan parliamentarians.
In Tonga, the delegates also had interesting meetings with:
Mr Barrie Sweetman, the Electoral Commissioner, and officers of the Tongan
Electoral Commission and the Electoral Boundaries Commission; and members of
civil society groups and local media.
The delegation offers its sincere thanks to the many
individuals and organisations who generously gave their time, to meet and share
their views and experiences during the visit. This was of great assistance to
delegates to better appreciate the democratic transition underway in these
countries, and how the Australian Government and Parliament can assist its
neighbours to develop and realise their democratic goals.