Groups protest over election preparations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The general election is still more than one year
\naway, but two organizations held separate protests yesterday, one
\nin Jakarta and another in Semarang, about the way the election is
\nbeing prepared, one even calling for a postponement.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, 10 people from the Center for Information and
\nEducation on Human Rights, visited the House of Representatives
\nto file a petition calling for the postponement until a more
\nindependent election committee is established.<\/p>\n
The delegation met with legislators of the minority Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI), including Sabam Sirait, Popo Sonadar
\nHaroen, Royani Haminullah and Nana Mulyana Sukanta.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot expect the elections to be fair and honest as long
\nas they are administered by a committee that is not independent,\"
\nAgus Edi Santoso, the center's chairman, told the faction.<\/p>\n
Agus said the election committee is too dominated by the
\ngovernment while the participation of the political contestants
\nis restricted.<\/p>\n
The committee, he said, should be controlled by a neutral body
\nappointed by the House rather than the President.<\/p>\n
He recalled that the 1955 general election, the first held
\nsince Indonesia became independent in 1945, was administered by a
\ncommittee appointed by the House. \"The government was simply
\nexecuting and supporting the election phases.\"<\/p>\n
Agus said election should be postponed until after the House
\nreforms some of the political laws that restrict the elections to
\nonly three contestants and apportion some of the House seats to
\nnon-elected members.<\/p>\n
Popo Sonadar Haroen of the PDI said in response to the demands
\nthat the proposals would be discussed by the party's executive
\nboard. \"Personally, I agree with the call to delay the
\nelections,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On changing the electoral laws and regulations, Popo said his
\nparty and the United Development Party (PPP), the other minority
\nfaction in the House, are working together on a draft to change
\nthem.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, hundreds of youths from the Indonesian Students
\nfor Democracy staged a demonstration outside the Central Java
\ngovernor's office, demanding that he support a clean election.<\/p>\n
The students, who came from various universities in Java, said
\nthe Central Java administration should make public any reports of
\nviolations of past general elections.<\/p>\n
Like the protesters in Jakarta, they are calling for the
\nrepeal of five political laws established in 1985 which governed
\nthe election rules.<\/p>\n
\"The electoral laws only benefit Golkar,\" they said, referring
\nto the dominant political organization.<\/p>\n
The students turned up with huge banners, one reading \"The
\n1997 elections have to be fair,\" and another saying \"Don't cheat
\nthe people.\"<\/p>\n
The students failed to meet with Governor Soewardi whom they
\ncriticized for lacking impartiality in the way he treated
\nelection contestants.<\/p>\n
They noted that the Central Java authorities have allowed
\nGolkar a virtual free hand in putting up its yellow flags all
\nacross the province, yet barred the PPP and PDI from putting up
\ntheir banners when they marked their anniversaries last month.<\/p>\n
The students called on the PPP and PDI to establish an
\norganization, which can independently monitor stages of the 1997
\ngeneral elections.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, the PPP faction said yesterday that it was still
\ncontinuing with its lobbying in the House to propose a bill to
\nreform the election laws, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Faction chairman Hamzah Haz denied the rumors that the party
\nwas dropping its plan.<\/p>\n
Another faction member warned the other factions in the House
\nnot to get in the way of the PPP move. \"We're following the
\nregulations to the letter. Asking us to drop the proposed bill
\nnow is inappropriate,\" Ali Mawan Hanan said.<\/p>\n
In order to have the bill debated in the House, the PPP must
\nensure the support of at least 20 legislators from at least two
\nfactions. Some PDI legislators said they are prepared to support
\nthe bill if PPP shows it is serious with the plan. (imn\/har\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/groups-protest-over-election-preparations-1447893297",
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