Golkar vying for young voters for 1997 election<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Although the general election is still two years
\naway, the dominant political organization Golkar has begun
\nserious preparations to woo the support of the young people,
\nparticularly of 21 million who will be voting for the first time.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Harmoko launched yesterday a three-day course,
\nfor about 300 university students and young people, to become
\ncadres of the political organization.<\/p>\n
Their main task would be to win over the votes and support of
\ntheir friends and colleagues.<\/p>\n
\"There are about 21 million first-time voters in the upcoming
\nelections and Golkar sees them as a potential source to score
\nanother victory. Many of them are among you,\" Harmoko said in his
\nspeech welcoming the participants.<\/p>\n
The students, who come from various university campuses in
\nJakarta, Bandung, Malang, Pontianak and Medan are volunteers, who
\njoined the organization without involving their alma mater.<\/p>\n
Golkar won 68 percent of the total votes in the 1992 general
\nelection, taking 282 of the 400 seats that were contested in the
\nHouse of Representatives. Although still a landslide victory, it
\nrepresented a decline over Golkar's 1987 performance, when it won
\n73 percent of the total votes.<\/p>\n
When Harmoko was elected, in 1993, to chair Golkar, the first
\nthing he promised was to reverse the trend and to ensure an even
\nbigger victory in the 1997 election.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Harmoko called on the young Golkar cadres to make
\nthe upcoming elections a successful one for the organization.<\/p>\n
He said the 1997 election will see an additional 25 seats to
\nbe contested because the Armed Forces (ABRI) representation in
\nthe house is being reduced from 100 to 75.<\/p>\n
Golkar, he told the young people and students, should grab all
\nthe 25 extra seats.<\/p>\n
The government has submitted a bill to the House of
\nRepresentatives proposing to cut the number of ABRI seats.
\nOfficials said the bill should be endorsed in time for the 1997
\nelections.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said, that on average, one house seat will require at
\nleast 400,000 votes.<\/p>\n
\"If Golkar intends to win all the 25 extra seats, it needs at
\nleast 10 million votes,\" he said. \"The bulk of these votes should
\ncome from the young voters.\"<\/p>\n
Harmoko said the leadership training programs are intended to
\nprovide knowledge, ability and motivation to young cadres to
\nachieve the organization's goals.<\/p>\n
Through the program, he said, Golkar urges students and young
\npeople to be actively involved in the organization's three-point
\nsuccess program: consolidation, supporting national development
\nand winning the 1997 election.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said Golkar is paying close attention to the needs of
\nstudents and young people because they would, one day, lead the
\norganization.<\/p>\n
He denied the suggestion that Golkar does not cater to the
\nneed of the students.<\/p>\n
\"It is wrong to assume that Golkar is not familiar with
\nstudents and their academic activities. Golkar considers that a
\nconducive campus life is necessary for the development of fresh
\nideas and a sense of loyalty for the people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Students looking for an atmosphere where they can fight for
\nthe people's welfare, and against poverty and injustice, can find
\nit in Golkar,\" Harmoko said. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-vying-for-young-voters-for-1997-election-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}