Abstention not significant in 2004 polls: Experts<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite high public distrust toward political parties, abstention
\nwill not be that significant in the 2004 general elections,
\npolitical analysts say.<\/p>\n
The number of people not exercising their voting rights may
\nbe negligible, should political parties improve their performance
\nahead of the elections.<\/p>\n
E. Shobirin Nadj, a researcher with the Institute for Economic
\nand Social Research, Education, and Information (LP3ES), told a
\ndiscussion here on Friday that those who distrusted political
\nparties could still vote for individuals as this would be
\npossible in the open-list legislative election and the direct
\npresidential election.<\/p>\n
\"The public's distrust toward political parties does not
\nnecessarily mean that the people will abstain in elections,
\nbecause they can vote for individuals to be legislators,\"
\nShobirin said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will hold legislative elections in April 2004 and
\nthe two-phased direct presidential elections in June and
\nSeptember 2004.<\/p>\n
Abstention is defined as an intentional act by a registered
\nvoter not to cast their vote in an election.<\/p>\n
Shobirin said the number of people not exercising their voting
\nrights in Indonesia's polls had never exceeded seven percent.<\/p>\n
A survey by LP3ES in May revealed that the number of people
\nintending to abstain from voting in the 2004 election was four
\npercent.<\/p>\n
The total registered voters in the upcoming elections is about
\n145 million people.<\/p>\n
Analyst J. Kristiadi concurred with Shobirin, but had his own
\ntheory.<\/p>\n
According to him, the abstention issue was the discourse of
\npeople in urban areas, not the people in rural areas. \"People in
\nthe countryside still have high hopes for the general elections
\nand will cast their votes,\" said Kristiadi, a researcher with the
\nCentre of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).<\/p>\n
He added that, abstention would not be high because of
\n\"mobilization\" through the practice of money politics.<\/p>\n
\"In the New Order era, mass mobilization was conducted by
\nstate officials. But, now political leaders use money to mobilize
\nthe people,\" Kristiadi said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, deputy secretary general of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Pramono Anung
\nWibowo, also said Friday that abstention would not be significant
\nin 2004 elections because people could vote individuals not
\npolitical parties.<\/p>\n
All three speakers strongly rejected any move to ban
\nabstention.<\/p>\n
Shobirin emphasized that abstention was the instrument of the
\npublic, to pressure political parties to improve their
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
\"I believe political parties will never reform themselves
\nwithout public pressure,\" Shobirin said.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi suggested that people supporting abstention prepare
\nthe next step to improve democracy. He said political parties
\nwould be bankrupted should the number of people abstaining the
\nelections keep getting higher.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abstention-not-significant-in-2004-polls-experts-1447893297",
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