ABRI vows to be 'fair referee' in next election<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) promised yesterday to be
\na \"fair referee\" for the 1997 general election despite its
\nspecial link with one of the three contestants, Golkar.<\/p>\n
ABRI Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung said that the Armed Forces
\nwant to see a fair game because it is committed to making the
\nelection and the subsequent 1998 presidential election a success.<\/p>\n
\"The success of both political events is vital for both the
\npeople and the government,\" Feisal told a news conference at the
\nconclusion of a three-day ABRI leadership meeting.<\/p>\n
On hand at the press meeting were ABRI's General Affairs chief
\nLt. Gen. Soeyono, Socio-political Affairs chief Lt. Gen. Syarwan
\nHamid, Intelligence Agency (BIA) chief Maj. Gen. Syamsir Siregar
\nand ABRI spokesman Brig. Gen. Amir Syarifudin.<\/p>\n
High on the agenda was ABRI's strategy to anticipate the
\nheightening political climate in the lead-up to next year's
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
In next year's election, the three contestants, Golkar, the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) will compete for 500 seats in the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
ABRI, which dominates Indonesian politics, does not take part
\nin elections but 75 seats in the House are reserved for them.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Suyono reiterated ABRI's determination to take harsh
\naction against any party who dares to disrupt the election.<\/p>\n
\"Although political tension is heightening, internal security
\nis totally under control,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said although ABRI has a special link with Golkar, it
\ndoes not mean to favor the ruling political grouping at the cost
\nof the minority parties.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI treats all the three contesting parties equally. Its
\ntraditional relation with Golkar will not affect its relation
\nwith the PPP and PDI,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar was founded in 1964 by ABRI to contain the growing
\ninfluence of the Indonesian Communist Party, which was blamed for
\nthe bloody coup attempt in 1965.<\/p>\n
ABRI has been on the defensive since Army Chief Gen. Hartono's
\nrecent controversial assertion that every Armed Forces member is
\na Golkar \"cadre\".<\/p>\n
Critics say this implies that ABRI is siding with Golkar to
\nensure a landslide victory in next year's general election.
\nSyarwan has assured the public that Hartono was airing his
\npersonal view, not ABRI's.<\/p>\n
\"Looking back at history, it is only natural that ABRI-Golkar
\nrelations have a distinctive color. It is like the relationship
\nbetween a mother and her child,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Syarwan reiterated ABRI's accommodating stand on the
\nindependent electoral monitoring committee (KIPP), which was
\nfounded on March 15 by journalists, lawyers, political activists
\nand human rights activists.<\/p>\n
\"The Armed Forces welcomes the monitoring body as long as it
\ndoes not break the law or interfere in the function of the
\nofficial Electoral Supervision Committee,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Chaired by Goenawan Mohamad, former editor of Tempo magazine
\nthe government shut down in 1994, KIPP has been widely welcomed
\nbut Golkar and government officials are openly opposed to it.<\/p>\n
Officials say the independent watchdog is not necessary
\nbecause it has no basis in law and will only confuse the
\nsupervision of the 1997 election.<\/p>\n
Last week, the West Java military threatened recently to ban
\nthe independent poll committee if it was found violating election
\nrules. (rms)<\/p>",
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