PPP vows to fight to amend 1995 law on elections<\/p>\n
UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): The United Development
\nParty (PPP) vowed yesterday to campaign to improve the 1985 law
\non general elections which, it said, favored Golkar.<\/p>\n
PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir told about 15,000 supporters
\nin the Mattoanging stadium here that, under Law No. 3\/1985, only
\ngovernment officials could sit on the Election Supervision
\nCommittee.<\/p>\n
\"Everybody knows which political grouping the government
\nofficials belong to,\" Jusuf said, obviously referring to Golkar.<\/p>\n
There would be less electoral fraud if representatives of the
\nthree parties -- PPP, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic (PPP)
\n-- were on the committee, he said.<\/p>\n
The law limited the committee to functioning at a subdistrict
\nlevel and not in the villages, where most manipulation occurred,
\nJusuf said.<\/p>\n
\"But to change the law, we need your votes,\" he told
\nsupporters who responded with yells of \"Long live PPP!\" and \"We
\nare ready to support PPP\".<\/p>\n
Another campaigner, Hussein Umar, fired up the crowd by
\nspeaking on economic monopolies. He said the PPP would fight for
\nan antimonopoly law to stop conglomerates gobbling up industries
\nwhich should belong to small business.<\/p>\n
He said people should be able to judge the government by its
\nhandling of the notorious escape Eddy Tansil, whose \"collusion
\nwith several government officials\" had cost the state US$620
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
\"This proves we haven't yet got clean governance. So let's
\nfight for the PPP to get us it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In a televised discussion yesterday, the PPP said the
\ngovernment should take all necessary measures to prevent violence
\nagainst Indonesian women working abroad.<\/p>\n
Party deputy chairwoman Aisyah Aminy said the party was
\nconcerned about the women workers abroad who \"often experienced
\ninhumane treatment such as suspended salaries and sexual
\nharassment\".<\/p>\n
\"If we cannot stop sending women workers abroad, at least
\nsomething should be done. We should have tighter selection
\nprocesses, including criteria such as a minimal skills
\nrequirement,\" Aisyah said.<\/p>\n
A \"workers protection command post\" should be established in
\nevery Indonesian embassy to facilitate communication between the
\nworkers and the government, she said.<\/p>\n
Aisyah said the PPP would fight for tougher laws against
\nrapists, who had been punished lightly under the Criminal Code.<\/p>\n
\"It's an injustice against the victims who have to suffer for
\nthe rest of their lives,\" she said. (aan\/30\/37)<\/p>",
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