Soeharto sets May 29 election date<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has set Thursday, May 29, as
\nnext year's general election day.<\/p>\n
Voting will take place simultaneously throughout the country
\non that day, the General Elections Institute announced yesterday.<\/p>\n
The decision, contained in Presidential Decree no. 86\/1996,
\nshattered the demands of the two minority parties -- the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\n-- for the election be held on a Sunday, or a holiday.<\/p>\n
The two minority parties had said declaring election day a
\nholiday would not only ensure that more people went to the
\npolling booths, but that it would also prevent the cheating and
\nintimidation that they claim has marred past elections.<\/p>\n
The PPP and PDI are contesting the election against Golkar,
\nwhich has won all five general elections held under Soeharto,
\nwith huge margins.<\/p>\n
The government earlier announced the election campaign period
\nwill be between April 29 and May 23. This will be followed by a
\nfive day cooling off period.<\/p>\n
The election will determine the composition of the 500-strong
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR), as well the provincial and
\nmunicipal legislative councils. At the national level, 425 of the
\n500 DPR seats are stake. The remaining 75 seats are reserved for
\nthe Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.<\/p>\n
The General Election Institute is currently evaluating lists
\nof candidates from the three competing political groupings. The
\nprocess includes screening out candidates who may have past
\ncommunist links.<\/p>\n
The election will be followed by the presidential election in
\nMarch 1998 by the 1,000-strong People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR), which consists of the 500 House members plus 500 people
\nselected to represent people from all walks of life. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soeharto-sets-may-29-election-date-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}