PDI-P, Golkar foreseen to shrink<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Noted party leaders warned on Wednesday that it was too early to
\ncall the upcoming election a contest between the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Golkar, saying the
\npeople's awareness regarding their voting rights has increased.<\/p>\n
Kwik Kian Gie, a senior leader of PDI-P, and Sjahrir, leader
\nof the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PIB), said that the public
\nat large was disappointed with the two main parties and might be
\nlooking at better options.<\/p>\n
The poor performance of the current administration may prompt
\nformer PDI-P supporters to shift their allegiance in the coming
\nelections.<\/p>\n
"If, in the 1999 election, people turned the PDI-P into the
\nlargest political party, in the upcoming election people could
\nalso turn us into a small party," Kwik said during the launch of
\na book titled Peta Politik Pemilu (Political Map of the
\nElection).<\/p>\n
A total 24 political parties will participate in the April 5
\ngeneral election. Parties or a coalition of parties garnering 3
\npercent of the seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) or 5
\npercent of total votes cast will participate in the country's
\nfirst-ever direct presidential election on July 5, and a possible
\nrunoff for the two top posts on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
The book, published by Kompas daily, uses voter distribution
\nin each regency and municipality in the 1999 election as grounds
\nto suggest that the coming election would be a continuation of
\nthe 1999 election, with tight competition between the PDI-P and
\nGolkar Party in the first and second rounds.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the PDI-P
\nleader, has been criticized for failing to bring Indonesia out of
\nthe economic crisis that has plagued the country since 1997.<\/p>\n
"The public are able to shift party allegiance, so it will be
\ndifficult to make a clear prediction," said Kwik, who is also
\nstate minister for National Development Planning.<\/p>\n
Sjarir concurred with Kwik, saying that up to 60 percent of
\nthe voters had not made up their minds which political party they
\nwould choose.<\/p>\n
"A coalition of Golkar and PDI-P may not have more than 45
\npercent of the votes, so many will choose other parties," Sjahrir
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The PDI-P won the 1999 general election, garnering some 35
\nmillion, or 33.9 percent of total votes registered, while Golkar
\ncame second with 22 percent.<\/p>\n
Sjahrir said some 30 percent to 60 percent of 145.7 million?
\nvoters in the upcoming elections had yet to decide which party to
\nsupport as too many problems had arisen with regard to political
\nleaders.<\/p>\n
The poor performance of President Megawati, and the continuing
\ngraft case against Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung would be
\nfactors in people's judgment before they exercised their right to
\nvote.<\/p>\n
General Elections Commission (KPU) deputy chairman Ramlan
\nSurbakti, however, stressed more the technical differences in the
\ncoming elections as making it quite difficult to predict the
\nresults.<\/p>\n
The increased number of provinces and municipalities, and a
\nnew election system with direct elections would definitely bring
\nin new changes in the results.<\/p>\n
"Although, as a KPU official, I cannot say which party will
\nwin, it will be difficult to predict the results with these new
\nmethods," Ramlan said.<\/p>",
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