Non-voting is no problem for govt: Analysts<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government need not worry about people
\nabstaining from voting tomorrow because it is common in
\ndemocracies, two political analysts said yesterday.<\/p>\n
J. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International
\nStudies (CSIS) was quoted by Antara as saying: \"In Indonesia,
\nwhere the political system adheres to Pancasila Democracy, the
\nGolput (non-voter) phenomenon is something the government should
\nnot fear.<\/p>\n
\"Also, the government has explicitly reiterated that people's
\nparticipation in the election is a right, not an obligation.\"<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights,
\nMarzuki Darusman, said non-voters were common in democracies.<\/p>\n
\"It's only that the government has been overwhelmed with its
\nduty to make the general election a success, in which a criteria
\nof success is the number of people using their voting rights,\"
\nMarzuki said.<\/p>\n
Public debate on non-voting has intensified since the ousted
\nleader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, declared last week she would keep her yellow
\nregistration card and abstain from voting. Many analysts believe
\nthis will increase the Golput vote this year.<\/p>\n
Golput, an acronym for Golongan Putih (White Group), refers to
\npeople who avoid polling booths or spoil their ballot papers to
\nprotest the political system.<\/p>\n
Megawati's supporters in Salatiga, Banyumas, Kebumen,
\nPurworejo, Cilacap and Purbalingga in Central Java have declared
\nthey will follow her example.<\/p>\n
Nine youth and student organizations and pro-Megawati
\nactivists in Surabaya announced yesterday they would not vote
\nbecause the government had designed the election to maintain the
\nstatus quo.<\/p>\n
The organizations include the Nationalist Student Movement's
\nSurabaya chapter, the Teachers' Training and Education
\nInstitute's senate and the Christian Students' Movement.<\/p>\n
Under the Indonesian laws, voting is not obligatory but
\ninstigating people into boycotting a general election is liable
\nto prosecution.<\/p>\n
The government has repeatedly urged eligible citizens to vote
\notherwise they would spoil their basic political rights.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi said that Golput had never exceeded 10 percent of
\nthe vote.<\/p>\n
\"Say, this year's Golput reaches 15 percent, what could they
\ndo?\" he said, comparing it to the percentage of non-voters in the
\nUnited States that could reach between 40 percent and 50 percent.<\/p>\n
In a \"political power context,\", Kristiadi said, non-voters
\nmeant nothing to the New Order government that has been ruling
\nfor more than 30 years.<\/p>\n
But Kristiadi said the government should be wary of non-voting
\nif it reflected growing discontent on its \"blatant deviations\".<\/p>\n
He said non-voting was no longer an urban phenomenon because
\nrural people had slowly been learning about politics and non-
\nvoting.<\/p>\n
\"It's just that there have been no guarantees that their
\nknowledge of Golput will make them practice it, because there's
\nstill a kind of mass fear in the air,\" he said. (aan\/wah\/nur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/non-voting-is-no-problem-for-govt-analysts-1447893297",
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