How does Golkar maintain election victory in Aceh?<\/p>\n
By Imanuddin<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Golkar's victory in this election is
\nits sixth nationwide and its third in this predominately-Moslem
\nprovince that was once a United Development Party (PPP)
\nstronghold.<\/p>\n
By Saturday, Golkar had won 64.3 percent of the 2.05 million
\nvotes counted for the provincial legislature. The PPP trailed
\nwith 32.3 percent and the split Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\nhad to be content with only 3.4 percent.<\/p>\n
In the 1992 election, Golkar won 58.4 percent of the 1.82
\nmillion votes counted, PPP had 34.5 percent and PDI 7 percent.<\/p>\n
Golkar had its first taste of victory in Aceh in 1987 with
\n51.9 percent of the 1.3 million of votes counted, PPP came second
\nwith 42.9 percent and PDI third with 3.9 percent.<\/p>\n
The people of Aceh, resource rich and subject to an ongoing
\nseparatist struggle, have a strong Islamic culture so they had
\nbeen expected to support the PPP.<\/p>\n
How did Golkar get its first break in Aceh, where PPP won 60
\npercent of the vote in 1982 compared to Golkar's 37 percent and
\n57.2 percent in 1977 when Golkar had 41 percent? In the 1971
\nelection, the PPP already posed a strong challenge to Golkar by
\nwinning 48.9 percent of the vote compared to Golkar's 49.7
\npercent.<\/p>\n
Some analysts attributed Golkar's victory in 1987 partly to
\nthe success of then governor Ibrahim Hasan, now state minister of
\nfood, in convincing local Moslem leaders that Golkar was Islamic
\nand that it would be able to help Aceh develop. But others
\nbelieved that locals only half-heartedly accepted Golkar.<\/p>\n
Local analyst Ahmad Humam Hamid said Golkar's gains resulted
\nfrom the tireless work of local bureaucrats.<\/p>\n
\"All regents, the governor and prominent Acehnese living in
\nJakarta, including incumbent State Minister for Food Ibrahim
\nHasan and former cabinet minister Bustanil Arifin, have played a
\nsignificant role in boosting Golkar's results here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Another analyst, Teuku Djohan, said Golkar had won because
\ncampaigners had successfully sold its programs to the people.<\/p>\n
Ahmad, a former chairman of the Aceh chapter of the
\npolitically-well-connected National Youth Committee, said that
\nGolkar's victory in 1987 was ushered in by Ibrahim Hasan, who
\nbecame provincial governor in 1986. Golkar's domination continued
\nduring Ibrahim's second term of office in 1992.<\/p>\n
\"The current governor, Syamsuddin Mahmud, cultivated Golkar's
\nsupremacy in the area further,\" said Ahmad, also deputy dean of
\nthe Syiah Kuala University's School of Agriculture.<\/p>\n
But he said people did not vote for Golkar because of its
\nclaims to promote Islamic values, but because it did not have
\nreligious affiliations.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar is thus more acceptable to all elements of the
\ncommunity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rigging<\/p>\n
Ahmad conceded that Golkar might have won this election
\nbecause of vote-rigging.<\/p>\n
\"We all understand that vote-rigging can be found throughout
\nthe country, but I have not yet seen reports of poll manipulation
\nhere,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ahmad said Golkar had one because of a spill-over of votes
\nfrom PDI supporters disenfranchised by the party's infighting.<\/p>\n
But Abdul Rahman Rasyidi, also chairman of the PPP Aceh
\nchapter, said the extensive electioneering by local bureaucrats
\nwas behind Golkar's victory.<\/p>\n
He said the PPP was defeated because \"some people\" had
\ninterfered in some stages of the election. He did not elaborate,
\nbut said later that some PPP executives had been intimidated
\nduring campaigning.<\/p>\n
He said he had evidence that PPP members and functionaries had
\nbeen \"mentally and physically intimidated by unauthorized
\npeople\".<\/p>\n
\"Many PPP members or functionaries had fled the province for
\nthe neighboring province of North Sumatra... to avoid the
\nintimidation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He cited a PPP official in Pidie regency, who had left for
\nMedan, North Sumatra, and a party official in East Aceh who had
\nescaped to Banda Aceh because of intimidation.<\/p>\n
\"Many people were forced to vote for Golkar,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said he had reported the intimidation to Maj. Gen.
\nSedaryanto, chief of the Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command,
\nwho oversees the provinces of Aceh, North and West Sumatra and
\nRiau. He also lodged complaints with the Aceh Election
\nSupervision Committee's chief, Lukharni.<\/p>\n
\"But the intimidation continued,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar Aceh chapter chairman Teuku Djohan said the PPP should
\nnot have blamed other parties for its defeat.<\/p>\n
\"People can now tell which political parties can voice their
\naspirations,\" he said. \"They can tell gold from brass, even
\nthough the colors are similar.\"<\/p>\n
He regretted the PPP accusations of vote-rigging. \"That was an
\nimmature maneuver. The PPP should accept defeat gracefully.\"<\/p>\n
He cited the PPP's victory in his hometown of Taneuh Abee in
\nSelimeum subdistrict, Aceh Besar regency.<\/p>\n
\"I did my best to persuade the people there to vote for
\nGolkar, but the villagers still believed that PPP was their best
\nchoice,\" he said. \"I have never blamed Golkar's defeat in my own
\nvillage on anyone.\"<\/p>",
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