PDI won't boycott 1997 elections<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) will not
\nboycott the general election in 1997, despite sharing the
\ngrievances expressed by the United Development Party (PPP), some
\nbranches of which have threatened to boycott the election.<\/p>\n
"The PDI will take part in the election no matter what happens
\nand I don't think I need to say more than that," PDI chairwoman
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri said yesterday in Bandar Lampung, Lampung,
\nas quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Megawati was commenting on the threat made by five provincial
\nbranches of the PPP this week that they will boycott the election
\nunless the government guarantees that the polls will be conducted
\nin a fair and just manner.<\/p>\n
Leaders of the PPP's branches in Aceh, Bengkulu, Jakarta, South
\nKalimantan and Central Kalimantan -- all solid PPP bases --
\nannounced their position during a party leadership meeting near
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The PPP and the PDI have complained that the election
\nregulations and procedures have been designed to ensure that
\nGolkar wins the election by a wide margin. In 1992, Golkar took
\n68 percent of the votes, the PPP 17 percent and the PDI 15
\npercent.<\/p>\n
At the end of the meeting on Wednesday, PPP leaders reiterated
\ntheir demand for a clean and fair election and demanded that the
\ngovernment punish those who break the laws.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a political analyst and former leader of Golkar's
\nCentral Java branch, said yesterday that the government should
\nheed the boycott threat, given that it comes from strong PPP
\nbranches.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo, a constitutional law expert at Diponegoro
\nUniversity in Semarang, Central Java, told Antara that the
\ngovernment should make the effort necessary to ensure a clean and
\nfair election.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo said complaints from the minority parties about the
\nway past elections have been conducted were to be expected. "It's
\npart of a dynamic political development, especially with an
\nelection year approaching. But still, the government should
\nreflect on their complaints," he said.<\/p>\n
He also urged the government to take notice of another
\ncomplaint made by PPP leaders during their recent meeting: that
\none of the three organizations set to contest the election had
\nbeen mobilizing civil servants and school pupils for its
\npolitical gatherings, called "cadres meetings".<\/p>\n
While the PPP was careful not to name any party, its remark
\nwas widely understood to refer to Golkar. (emb)<\/p>",
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