Election image needs improving: Rudini<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A truly fair and honest general election next
\nyear will help dispel the growing popular perception that the
\nevent is a mere formality to justify the inveterate rule of the
\nstatus quo, former home minister Rudini said yesterday.<\/p>\n
"Given the many deficiencies and weaknesses listed by various
\nmembers of the public, including political parties, many are of
\nthe opinion that past elections have not been fully effective in
\nconstructing a democratic political order," the retired Army
\ngeneral said.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a seminar at the Center for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies, Rudini said that while the legal
\nmechanisms concerning elections were quite sufficient, their
\nimplementation still left much to be desired.<\/p>\n
"The government must be able to dispel the image that the
\nelectoral process is just a way of fulfilling constitutional
\nformalities," he remarked.<\/p>\n
Discontent at the electoral process has manifested itself in
\nthe formation of various independent election monitoring
\ncommittees, which the government has brushed off as being
\nsuperfluous.<\/p>\n
Rudini said that certain "suspicious" practices of past
\nelections have motivated increasing demands for a better
\nelection.<\/p>\n
"Why have these demands recently gotten stronger? For no other
\nreason than because of the people's belief that there is
\nsomething wrong in the field," he charged.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the alliance of the civil servant corps with the
\nruling Golkar faction as one factor which diminishes trust and
\ncreates wariness.<\/p>\n
Noting that many other organizations have blatantly instructed
\nmembers to support a particular political party, Rudini said this
\npractice is a clear neglect of a general election's hallowed
\nprinciples. "With such an instruction the principles of the
\nvoter's free choice and secrecy evaporate," he said.<\/p>\n
In his presentation, political scientist J. Soedjati
\nDjiwandono slammed the so-called "special screening" ahead of the
\nelection, saying that the practice is filtering out potentially
\ncritical legislators.<\/p>\n
The screening is conducted by the military on every candidate
\nfor the House of Representatives and the regional legislative
\ncouncils. It is intended to weed out those with possible past
\ncommunist links.<\/p>\n
Soedjati maintained that the screening had effectively blunted
\nthe House of Representatives and made legislators devoid of all
\npolitical independence.<\/p>\n
Juwono Sudarsono, deputy governor of the National Resilience
\nInstitute, while acknowledging the necessity of the screening,
\nsaid that it should not be conducted too often.<\/p>\n
The government should not be overly harsh in punishing someone
\nwhose relative or forefather is a suspected communist, he said.<\/p>\n
One should not be blamed for caring for a relative who is
\nreputedly a communist supporter, Juwono remarked.<\/p>\n
Separately, Armed Forces Chief for Sociopolitical Affairs Lt.
\nGen. Syarwan Hamid asserted that all prospective legislators for
\nnext year's general elections should be examined.<\/p>\n
"The special screening is mainly meant to filter candidates so
\nthat only loyal and devoted legislators are elected," Syarwan
\ntold reporters after attending the opening ceremony of a seminar,
\nheld at the armed forcers headquarters yesterday.<\/p>\n
"We do not want people to elect candidates whose mind and
\nprinciples are against the state ideology Pancasila," he added.<\/p>\n
The three political groups contesting the elections are
\nexpected to submit their completed lists of candidates for the
\nHouse by Sept. 16. The screening process will be held from Sept.
\n17 to Oct. 31. (imn\/mds)<\/p>",
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