Prayers held for campaign<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Party leaders, government officials and
\nreligious figures joined in prayers yesterday for a successful
\nelection campaign.<\/p>\n
Head of the Indonesian Moslem Ulemas Council Hasan Basri led
\nthe prayers, which called for peace during the electioneering
\nthat kicks off tomorrow and ends on May 23.<\/p>\n
\"May God guide us. We sincerely hope that the election
\ncampaigns will be smooth and safe,\" said Basri before beginning
\nthe prayers.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) will vie for 425 seats in the House of
\nRepresentatives in the May 29 election.<\/p>\n
Present at the prayers were PPP chief Ismail Hasan Metareum,
\nGolkar's Harmoko, government-recognized PDI's Soerjadi, Minister
\nof Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and election institute
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
The prayers, the first to be held in the history of Indonesian
\nelections, were followed by Yogie ceremoniously cutting the tip
\nof a rice cone and giving a piece to each of the party chiefs.<\/p>\n
Yogie said Indonesia prayed for smooth and successful election
\ncampaigns. Quoting a verse from the holy Koran, he said God hates
\npeople who adore violence.<\/p>\n
\"Avoid clashes during the election campaigning,\" he said.<\/p>\n
This year's election, the sixth during the New Order
\ngovernment under President Soeharto, has been preluded by clashes
\namong supporters of the rival parties in Central Java.<\/p>\n
Ethnic and religiously-motivated riots in Java and West
\nKalimantan as well as the politically-motivated riot in Jakarta
\non July 27, 1996 have been widely believed to reflect growing
\npublic discontent of the government.<\/p>\n
The unrest is feared to reoccur, especially during the
\ncampaigns even though the government has tightened electioneering
\nrules, including banning street rallies and exploiting sensitive
\nissues like religion and ethnicity.<\/p>\n
Yogie vowed yesterday that the government would act as an
\nimpartial \"referee\" for the election and abide by every law
\npertaining to the poll that officials have dubbed a \"fiesta of
\ndemocracy\".<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan said he was grateful the government had finally
\naccommodated his party's demands and adjusted the campaigning
\nrules accordingly.<\/p>\n
\"I hope that the government and contestants honor every rule
\nof the game which has been agreed upon. Don't do anything that is
\nclearly unnecessary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Moslem-oriented PPP has been an ardent critic of the
\nelection rules set by the government, which backs Golkar. PDI
\nalso had reservations concerning the electioneering rules.<\/p>\n
Among the clauses of the guidelines under fire were the
\nauthorization of the government to screen campaign speeches, to
\npick moderators for the broadcast of public debates by state-
\nowned television station TVRI and radio RRI, and the complicated
\nprocedures to gain police approval to hold rallies.<\/p>\n
The regulations had been adjusted in accordance with the
\nparty's demands earlier this month. PDI and PPP officials have
\nthreatened to stop campaigning if the government gives too much
\nsupport to Golkar.<\/p>\n
Ismail said his party currently did not have \"significant
\ncomplaints\" over the campaigning rules.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to fight in the general election as our
\ncomplaints over the election guidelines have been positively
\nresponded,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But he did raise concern over what he called the government's
\nunfair treatment of PPP (and PDI). In East Java, he said, the
\npolice demanded the parties inform the authorities on details
\nsuch as how many people would attend a campaign.<\/p>\n
Harmoko stressed that supporters of all contesting parties
\nshould put the spirit of togetherness above everything else.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar will focus on working programs, not the number of
\npeople attending a campaign,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar has prepared a guideline in which supporters are
\nexpected to maintain peace and order, he said. \"We make it clear
\nthat stirring up trouble is a crime.\"<\/p>\n
Soerjadi, saying he was not prepared to give a speech,
\nstressed on the need for the government and contestants to abide
\nby the rules of the game. (imn\/pan)<\/p>\n
More stories on Page 2<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prayers-held-for-campaign-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }