PPP announces tough stance on polls violations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the United Development Party (PPP)
\nhave vowed to take a stronger stance against violations during
\ngeneral elections.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman Zain Badjeber told reporters here yesterday
\nthat should violations occur again in the 1997 general election
\nwithout the government responding to them properly, \"we will file
\ncharges against it\".<\/p>\n
Zain, who was accompanied by other party executives including
\nchairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, said the government should launch
\ninvestigations into any reports of violations \"even without us
\nrequesting it\".<\/p>\n
\"We will step up our advocacy against violations in the next
\nelections,\" he said. \"If reports are not acted on, we will sue
\nthe government so the people know what is happening,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Zain and the other party executives were explaining to
\nreporters the results of the party's recent leadership meeting in
\nCipayung, West Java, at which they vowed to stand up against the
\npractice of coercion and intimidation during elections.<\/p>\n
The stronger stance, Zain pointed out, is consistent with the
\nparty's political statement issued at the talks, particularly the
\npledge \"to take concrete actions to defend people who may become
\nvictims of the implementation of the 1997 elections.\"<\/p>\n
According to the Criminal Code, reports on intimidation, for
\ninstance, can be investigated without requests from the victims
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
Zain accused the government's election supervision committee
\nof failing to act on reports of violations occurring during the
\nprevious general elections.<\/p>\n
Also yesterday, the party leaders announced the establishment
\nof three bodies (lajnah) to better prepare them for the next
\nelections. Advocacy and litigation is the job of the advocacy
\nbody chaired by Zain.<\/p>\n
The other two bodies are the electoral campaign body headed by
\nAisyah Aminy, and the funding and logistics body under Hamzah
\nHaz.<\/p>\n
In a related development, the chairman of the ruling grouping
\nGolkar, Harmoko, denied the PPP's charges that his grouping has
\nbeen mobilizing students during school hours for its cadre
\nmeetings around the country.<\/p>\n
Harmoko also denied yesterday Ismail's claim that the students
\nwere under-age and not even cadres for the political grouping.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar has never mobilized students,\" he said. The students
\n\"are at least 17 years old and they are first-time voters, so
\ntheir attendance is legal\".<\/p>\n
\"When they come to the meetings they come as cadres, not as
\nstudents ...they attend after school hours or on holidays,\"
\nHarmoko said. He added he usually travels to cadre meetings on
\nSaturdays and Sundays.<\/p>\n
\"I always give out Golkar membership cards to the 17-year-
\nolds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the young cadres \"have become Golkar members of their
\nown accord, without any coercion.\"<\/p>\n
\"Golkar realizes this is what we need, members who join of
\ntheir own will, because they are reliable, strong, prime-quality
\ncadres,\" he said. (anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-announces-tough-stance-on-polls-violations-1447893297",
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