PPP edict draws mixed responses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A call by the United Development Party (PPP) for
\nulemas from all three political groups to issue an edict on the
\ngeneral election received mixed reactions yesterday.<\/p>\n
A cautious deputy chairman of the Ulemas Council of Indonesia
\n(MUI), Ali Yafie, said the council was open to deliberating the
\nappeal.<\/p>\n
Burhan Magenda, who heads the Board of Intellectuals of the
\ndominant political organization Golkar, rejected the PPP's idea,
\nas the agreement reached by chairmen of the three political
\ngroups was enough to guarantee the election would run in
\naccordance with moral and ethical principles.<\/p>\n
Secretary-General of the government-supported Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) faction Buttu Hutapea said the leadership
\nof the nationalist-Christian coalition party had no plans to
\nrespond to the PPP's suggestion.<\/p>\n
The advice, one of five political statements issued Sunday by
\nthe PPP at the conclusion of its three-day leadership meeting,
\nreceived support from Golkar legislator Didiet Haryadi
\nPriyohutomo, who said that such an edict would prevent political
\ndisintegration.<\/p>\n
The PPP Central Board suggested over the weekend a national
\nedict from ulemas would serve as moral guidance prior to the May
\n29 election.<\/p>\n
The election, the sixth to be held under the New Order since
\n1971, will be contested by PPP, Golkar and the PDI. They will be
\nvying for 425 of the 500 House of Representatives seats. The rest
\nare reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.<\/p>\n
PPP Chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said in a meeting with 300
\nulemas from all over the country last week that ulemas are
\ncrucial to the building of good political morals of the political
\ngroups they are affiliated to, and should not be tools used to
\nwin general elections.<\/p>\n
The appeal emerged in the wake of the PPP's concern about
\noverwhelming moral decadence. It said ulemas must help instill
\nupstanding ethical political behavior.<\/p>\n
No comment<\/p>\n
Yafie, a Golkar legislative candidate, said MUI could not
\ncomment until it received an explanation from PPP.<\/p>\n
\"They should meet with us to let us know the goals of
\ngathering ulemas for an edict on the general election,\" Yafie
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He indicated however that such a special convention of ulemas
\nwas not necessary because the ulemas always met at the MUI
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Yafie said the ulemas council had no plan to issue an edict on
\nthe general election, saying that it would just encourage Moslems
\nall over the country to help ensure the election runs safely and
\nsuccessfully.<\/p>\n
According to Yafie, an ethical election requires both the
\ngovernment and political groups to give their full respect to the
\nrules and Pancasila's moral principles, which reject enmity and
\nthe trading of accusations.<\/p>\n
Burhan, who is also a lecturer at the Jakarta-based University
\nof Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences, said it
\nwould be hard for the public to understand the PPP's call for an
\nethical election.<\/p>\n
\"The government has widely promoted an election which should
\nrun in a direct, general and confidential manner. These
\nprinciples are already clear,\" Burhan said.<\/p>\n
He agreed with the PPP's statement that a number of offenses
\nhad occurred in the past, but he said they did not need blowing
\nout of proportion.<\/p>\n
\"Let's believe in the government's goodwill to see the
\nupcoming election is run in accordance to the regulations,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Didiet, former chairman of the National Youth Committee, said
\nthat the commitment of the three poll contestants' leadership
\nwas not enough to guarantee a fair election.<\/p>\n
\"The commitment should be accompanied by a move to promote an
\nethical election at the grassroots,\" Didiet said.<\/p>\n
Didiet said PPP would not have raised the issue if organizers
\nof the previous elections had stuck to the rules while carrying
\nout their duties.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Hutapea refused to comment, saying that the PDI
\nwould like to insert \"just and honest\" to the \"direct, general,
\nfree and confidential\" principles already included in the
\nexisting election rules. (amd)<\/p>",
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