Korpri members should vote, Soeharto says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday called on members
\nof the six-million strong Indonesian Civil Servants Corps
\n(Korpri) to vote in the general election on May 29 next year.<\/p>\n
Addressing a gathering for the 25th anniversary of the corps
\nat Senayan Sports Stadium here yesterday, Soeharto said state
\nemployees should vote not only so their aspirations and interests
\nare well represented, but also so the \"momentum of national
\ndevelopment\" can be maintained without glitches.<\/p>\n
\"Korpri members are part of the whole Indonesian community.
\nTherefore, all state employees should exercise their voting
\nrights,\" he told some 100,000 people present at the event.<\/p>\n
He said general elections are not organized merely to select
\nlegislatures, but, more importantly, to accommodate community
\ndynamics into the Broad Guidelines of State Policies, which is
\nthe blueprint of national life for the next five years.<\/p>\n
\"This is why election campaigns should be held to offer to the
\npublic political contestants' programs,\" he said. \"The people
\nwill then be able to consider whether their aspirations and
\ninterests are tended well.\"<\/p>\n
President Soeharto's message for state employees to vote
\ncapped public discussions over the last few days about whether
\ncivil servants, with their obvious loyalty toward the dominant
\nGolkar, should vote, or whether they should have seats in the
\nHouse of Representatives reserved for them in exchange for not
\nvoting.<\/p>\n
Korpri chairman Suryatna Subrata was the first to suggest that
\nKorpri should not vote in return for seats in the House.<\/p>\n
Advocates of the idea liken the corps to the Armed Forces,
\nwhose members do not vote in general elections but are
\nrepresented by its members who are accorded 75 seats in the
\nHouse.<\/p>\n
Just like the Armed Forces, they argue, civil servants ought
\nnot affiliate with any political organization because they are
\nsupposed to serve people regardless of political background.<\/p>\n
Opponents of the idea say the civil service corps' mission is
\nfundamentally different from that of the Armed Forces, which
\ndeals with maintaining security and stability and therefore must
\nbe neutral.<\/p>\n
There are no reasons, they argue, why civil servants should be
\ndeprived of their political right to vote.<\/p>\n
The corps has recently reaffirmed its support of Golkar. The
\ncorps is one of the three main forces in the makeup of Golkar
\nleadership; the other two major influences are the Armed Forces
\nand mass organizations.<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, President Soeharto reminded the corps that the
\nsuccess of national development and the government depends on the
\nprofessionalism, dedication and the welfare of state employees.<\/p>\n
\"Korpri should give professional suggestions to the
\ngovernment, with or without being asked. The government does not
\nwish to see Korpri become a passive executor of government
\npolicies,\" Soeharto said. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/korpri-members-should-vote-soeharto-says-1447893297",
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