Don't mess with elections, General Wiranto insists<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense\/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
\nWiranto said on Friday he would not tolerate any attempt to foil
\nor disturb the June general election and presidential election
\nlater this year.<\/p>\n
The general said the Armed Forces would take all necessary
\nmeasures to ensure free, just and fair elections, because the
\nsuccess of the two events together was key to the nation's
\nrecovery.<\/p>\n
\"The success of the two national agendas is the only gateway
\nfor the nation to leave the current crisis and enter the 21st
\ncentury,\" Wiranto said during his address at the opening of the
\n21st regular course of the Armed Forces (ABRI) School of Command
\nin Bandung, West Java.<\/p>\n
He also reiterated his previous statement that ABRI would
\nremain neutral during the election process and accept the result
\nof the elections whatever it was.<\/p>\n
He added that ABRI would also remain neutral during the
\nGeneral Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to
\nelect a new president at the year's end.<\/p>\n
Many of the new political parties have expressed fears that
\nABRI may use its clout to influence the elections to ensure the
\ncontinuation of its dual function in politics and security and
\ndefense.<\/p>\n
Students and antigovernment critics have repeatedly called on
\nthe Armed Forces to relinquish its political role and focus on
\nsecurity and defense tasks.<\/p>\n
Active Armed Forces members do not vote. But ABRI is allotted
\na certain number of seats in the legislature.<\/p>\n
The newly adopted political law stipulates that ABRI will get
\n38 seats in the House of Representatives, a reduction from the
\ncurrent 75 seats.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI will be neutral and keep the same distance with all
\nelection participants,\" Wiranto pledged as quoted by Antara.
\n(prb)<\/p>",
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