LAST month, Smita Notosusanto, Director of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro), went to Banda Aceh, the capital of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province. On her second day there she was surprised to see the city, also dubbed the Veranda of Mecca, become very festive. Dark blue banners, flags and palm fronds bearing the picture of a triangular star—nowhere to be seen when she arrived there a day earlier—were springing up everywhere.