Acehnese hold little hope for elections<\/p>\n
Nani Farida and
\nRidwan Max Sijabat
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nBanda Aceh\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
While the provincial government has predicted Aceh's elections
\nwill run successfully, many Acehnese are pessimistic they will be
\ndemocratic or deliver a desired outcome.<\/p>\n
Authorities have given assurances of free and fair elections,
\nwhich begin in the province on April 5. However, many Acehnese
\nsay it will be impossible for the military, which has never
\npractised democracy, to run democratic elections under martial
\nlaw.<\/p>\n
Iskandar, 45, resident of Kuta Alam in the provincial capital
\nof Banda Aceh, said he was uninterested in the general elections.
\nPrevious elections had not improved day-to-day life in the
\ntroubled province, he said.<\/p>\n
Forty-year-old Muhammad Jamal, a resident of Banda Aceh's
\nLamlagang, agreed. Many Acehnese greeted the elections
\nunenthusiastically because they had long been forced to stay
\nquiet, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Long before the launch of the military operations (against
\nthe Free Aceh Movement, or GAM) last June, we were prohibited to
\nexpress our aspirations. The more people make a noise, the more
\nthey are killed or arrested,\" Muhammad said.<\/p>\n
\"Like others, I will probably go to the ballot booth to cast
\nmy vote -- but I am not doing it of my own free will. If I don't
\nvote, I am considered a supporter of GAM,\" he said.<\/p>\n
People had no chance to exercise their political rights since
\nthe recent exodus of observers, who were accused by the
\nauthorities of conspiring with the separatists and their
\nsupporters.<\/p>\n
\"Many people have been frightened by a recent incident where a
\nNorth Aceh resident was killed after speaking to a private TV
\nstation. We have no (political) parties to share our grievances
\nwith and, therefore, it is better to remain silent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tuti, a 25-year-old student of Syiah Kuala University, said,
\nif they had the choice, most Acehnese wouldn't participate in the
\nelections. It did not matter which party won the elections as
\nnone could solve the deep-seated troubles in the province.<\/p>\n
Refugees who occupy mosques and Islamic boarding schools in
\nBireuen and Lhokseumawe said they were not confident they could
\nsafely return home and vote as they did in the previous
\nelections.<\/p>\n
\"We are taking refuge here to avoid arrest from the security
\nauthorities and because we are longer confident in the
\ngovernment,\" said a refugee, who asked for anonymity.<\/p>\n
The number of refugees has decreased drastically to 5,300 from
\nabout 35,000 at the beginning of the military operation.<\/p>\n
GAM's strong influence in the province meant only a half of
\nall voters participated in the 1999 elections. At least 30
\npercent of the province's legislators were appointed by the
\nprovince's General Election Commission (KPU) on the basis of the
\n1997 election results.<\/p>\n
A human rights activist who has monitored conditions in Aceh
\nfrom Jakarta, said observers were skeptical of democratic and
\nfair elections under the existing state of emergency.<\/p>\n
\"The General Election Commission will not be able to maintain
\ntheir independence in organizing the elections...
\nbecause the military emergency administration has complete
\nauthority in line with the 1959 emergency law 'to engineer a
\nsuccessful election',\" the activist, who asked to remain
\nnameless, said.<\/p>\n
\"And like previous elections, these are certain to install
\nillegitimate and corrupt legislators and governments.\"<\/p>\n
As in elections during the New Order era, several political
\nparties, including Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP),
\nwere cooperating with the military to ensure they won as many
\nvotes as possible, he said.<\/p>\n
The KPU has divided the province into eight electoral
\ndistricts for provincial and legislative seats and two districts
\nfor House of Representative seats. It has depended on the Army to
\norganize the elections.<\/p>\n
Oto Syamsuddin, a sociologist at the Syiah Kuala University in
\nBanda Aceh, observed that Golkar, the PPP and the ruling
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) were forming
\nalliances in the region -- along with other smaller military-
\nlinked parties.<\/p>\n
\"Both the military and political parties will defend their
\ncommon interests to maintain a unified Indonesia. The military
\nhas security business that has cost the state more than Rp 1.3
\ntrillion while Golkar, the PPP and the PDI-P are eyeing the
\nprovince's rich resources,\" Oto said.<\/p>\n
The military and police had formed militia groups that would
\nbe mobilized during the election campaign to support political
\nparties and to drive people to ballot booths.<\/p>\n
\"Even in East Aceh locals feel safer holding the membership
\ncards of military-linked parties than the holding red-and-white
\nidentity cards,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Locals would feel threatened by the increased military
\npresence and vote for the establishment, whatever their views.
\nThose who refused to vote would be considered supporters of the
\nseparatists, he said.<\/p>\n
Oto said Golkar could harness the military emergency to have a
\ngood chance of winning the provincial elections. Incumbent
\ngovernor Abdulla Puteh was a Golkar member and the party had
\nstrong support among members of the bureaucracy and employees of
\nmining and fertilizer companies.<\/p>\n
However, some religious leaders and voters in rural areas were
\nfanatic supporters of the PPP, he said.<\/p>\n
Oto was pessimistic the military regime was ready to
\ndemilitarize secure electoral districts.<\/p>\n
\"If the military is committed to a democratic process, it
\nshould agree to a cease-fire with GAM during the elections and
\nrespect the people's right to cast their votes -- or not vote.<\/p>\n
\"It should also let voters reject problematic candidates in
\ntheir efforts to form a democratic government -- as is stipulated
\nin the last agreement (on Aceh) mediated by the Henri Dunant
\nCenter,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Eyebox:<\/p>\n
It is difficult for us to be independent in organizing the
\nelections because a part of the election budget comes from the
\nmartial administration and the local political elite, says
\nSyarifah Rahmatillah, a member of the Aceh provincial chapter of
\nthe General Elections Commission.<\/p>\n
Photo: Acehnese people pay no attention to calls for them to vote
\nin the elections.<\/p>",
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