Bid to change election rules gets support<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): General elections will be run fairly only when
\nthey are jointly organized by the government and the political
\nparties, two leading political scientists said over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Maswadi Rauf of the state-run University of Indonesia and
\nMuhammad A.S. Hikam of the National Institute of Sciences said in
\na House of Representatives discussion, that the minor role played
\nby the parties caused cheating throughout all stages of the
\nelections.<\/p>\n
\"Election rules that have exempted political parties from
\ntaking part in the organizing of the polls over the past 30 years
\nare simply intended to help the ruling Golkar win,\" Maswadi said.<\/p>\n
The discussion was led by the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI) faction in the People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
PDI and its fellow minority faction the United Development
\nParty (PPP) have demanded the Assembly amend a decree on general
\nelections it established in 1988.<\/p>\n
Deliberation on the proposal is expected to run from today
\nuntil Thursday.<\/p>\n
The 1988 decree states that the President has the authority to
\nhold general elections, the two parties -- PPP and PDI -- and the
\nfunctional group -- Golkar -- are to supervise and carry out the
\nelections.<\/p>\n
But all government officials, the civil service, who organize
\nthe elections, are affiliate with Golkar.<\/p>\n
PDI and PPP have repeatedly drawn attention to irregularities
\nduring the election processes -- spanning from registration of
\nvoters to ballot counting.<\/p>\n
They insist general elections be jointly organized by the
\nPresident and the three parties.<\/p>\n
Maswadi said government-controlled election rules contributed
\nto their being only a half-hearted eradication of corruption,
\ncollusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
\"A fair general election would give the public room to ask for
\ngovernment accountability. People who have the freedom to vote
\nwill not support a corrupt ruling party,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar<\/p>\n
Maswadi criticized the election rules for categorizing Golkar
\na \"functional group\" instead of a political party although it
\ncarries out the same functions as PPP and PDI.<\/p>\n
\"The distinction has given the public the impression that the
\ntwo minority political parties are enemies. It seems like a
\nsystematic attempt to weaken political parties,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In a law on Golkar and political parties, Golkar -- short for
\nGolongan Karya -- is defined as a functional group and a
\ncontestant of general elections.<\/p>\n
Hikam said the election rules were the product of past
\nnational consensus which gave the government a mandate to take
\naction for the sake of political stability.<\/p>\n
The government's rule on the number of political parties
\nallowed to exist was made in the first years of the New Order era
\nand was acceptable then for security reasons, he said.<\/p>\n
The government reduced the number to three in 1973, forcing
\nthe Moslem parties to merge into PPP and Nationalist and
\nChristian parties to unite under the PDI banner.<\/p>\n
\"Now that the New Order is very strong, a policy that
\nminimizes the roles of political parties is no longer
\nlegitimate,\" Hikam said.<\/p>\n
\"The election rules have failed to improve the quality of the
\npeople's representatives. Everybody knows they serve the ruling
\nelite rather than their constituents,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar has won each of the six five-yearly elections held
\nsince the New Order was established.<\/p>\n
It scored a record 74 percent of the vote in this year's May
\n27 general election.<\/p>\n
Hikam suggested the government initiate a total reform of the
\ncountry's political format in accordance with the 1945
\nConstitution which acknowledges people's freedom to speak and to
\nchoose their political affiliation.<\/p>\n
\"Reviewing election rules alone is not enough because general
\nelections are only a small part of the political chain,\" he said.
\n(amd)<\/p>",
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