'Election must not bring anxiety'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Legislators agreed with President Soeharto
\nyesterday that the general election in May should not cause
\nsuffering and trouble.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the President's state budget speech, in which he
\ndisclosed that the budget increase for political affairs was the
\nsecond largest after that to poverty alleviation and population
\nprograms, the legislators also agreed the increase should be
\naccompanied by better performance in the sector.<\/p>\n
\"The general election should not bring anxiety and suffering
\nto the people,\" said Abu Hasan Sazili, the deputy chairman of
\nHouse Commission I, which deals with military and foreign
\npolitical affairs.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Soeharto said the years 1997\/1998 would be
\n\"full of political affairs\", as Indonesians would be involved in
\nthe various stages of the general election.<\/p>\n
The flurry of activity will peak on election day, May 29,
\nfollowed by the People's Consultative Assembly session in March
\n1998 in which representatives will discuss the Broad Guidelines
\nfor State Policies and elect a new president.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said the general election should bring people
\nhappiness because it would advance the nation to the next stage
\nof development which promised prosperity.<\/p>\n
\"It should be a festivity of democracy without violence,\"
\nSoeharto reiterated.<\/p>\n
\"Normally as a festivity, the general election must bring
\nhappiness to all of us,\" he said. \"A general election campaign
\nthat causes damage -- to people and property -- must be avoided.\"<\/p>\n
\"The excesses of such a campaign would disgrace the general
\nelection and tarnish the democratic practices we want to uphold
\nin this country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said it was for this reason the government wanted to
\nemphasize a dialogue campaign by discussing development issues.<\/p>\n
Last month the government issued regulations banning street
\nrallies in the official one month campaign period.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also said it was unavoidable that the political
\nclimate would heat up ahead of the election.<\/p>\n
\"What we have to avoid is an uncontrolled situation, clashes
\nand animosity among ourselves. This certainly is unhealthy and
\neven endangers our nation,\" Soeharto said, calling on people not
\nto be antagonized by differences between people.<\/p>\n
\"These kind of differences are the characteristics of
\ndemocracy. Therefore, we can overcome them through democratic
\nmeans,\" Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Sazili warned of the political temperature heating
\nup and \"the possible appearance of a third party\" meddling out of
\njealousy of Indonesia's economic success.<\/p>\n
Theo L. Sambuaga of Commission I lauded the budget increase,
\nbut said it should be accompanied by better performances in
\ndomestic political activities and foreign diplomacy.<\/p>\n
Golkar, which won the majority vote in the last five
\nelections, intends to win 70 percent of the vote in the May 29
\npoll, two percent more than its share in the 1992 election when
\nthe PPP received 17 percent and the PDI 15 percent.<\/p>\n
The three political groupings legally permitted to run --
\nGolkar, the United Development Party and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party -- will contest 425 seats in the 500-member
\nparliament. The balance is allocated to the Armed Forces whose
\nmembers do not formally vote. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/election-must-not-bring-anxiety-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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