The right to choose<\/p>\n
The church, for that matter the Roman Catholic church in
\nIndonesia, is not known for stirring political controversy.
\nTherefore it came as a major surprise when news surfaced last
\nweek that the Bishops Council of Indonesia had issued a letter to
\nall Roman Catholic churches in the country, stating that one
\nwould not commit a sin if one did not vote in the upcoming
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
The statement must be read in its entirety, lest one is lead
\nto a wrong and possibly dangerous conclusion about the church's
\nrole in Indonesian politics. The council said it had made the
\nstatement in response to questions from members of the church. In
\nview of the approaching election, such a question is therefore
\nvalid, and that the church was only performing its duty when it
\ngave its moral stance on the subject of election.<\/p>\n
But legally, there is no obligation for anyone to vote in the
\nelection. The 1985 electoral law states that voting is a right
\nfor every adult Indonesian of sound mind. The law does not
\nstipulate any sanctions for people not exercising their right to
\nvote. What the law does is to make it a criminal offense for
\nanyone to prevent others from voting, or discourage others from
\nexercising their civil right.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto put the matter clearly when he spoke on
\nFriday about the need to ensure a successful election: that
\neveryone should vote and that, those who do not, do so at their
\nown loss because the election is a once every-five-year
\nopportunity for people to influence the course of national
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
The debate about the right to vote has surfaced every time a
\ngeneral election has neared. The 1997 election is no exception.
\nIt just happens that this time the debate was started by the
\nleaders of the Roman Catholic church.<\/p>\n
In countries where democracy has developed to an advanced
\nstage, the right to vote implies that one can choose not to vote
\nfor whatever reason. In U.S. elections, a voter turnout of less
\nthan 50 percent of the total registered voters, is acceptable,
\nand the results, like President Clinton's reelection in November,
\nstand. In the U.S., registering as voters is an option, and only
\nabout half of all American eligible voters are registered.<\/p>\n
Voter turnouts in Indonesia's last five elections have always
\nexceeded 90 percent of registered and eligible voters. This is a
\nremarkable achievement, not only compared to developed countries,
\nbut even by the standards of other developing countries.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, however, the percentage of people who did not
\nvote in past elections has been, rightly or wrongly, used as an
\nindication to gauge the level of discontent towards the political
\nsystem of the New Order. Unfortunately, the government's
\nobsession to go for the greatest turnout -- sometimes going to
\ngreat lengths to ensure that everyone voted -- has given greater
\ncurrency to the belief that those who did not vote were
\nboycotting the election.<\/p>\n
Imperfections in the electoral system and the way elections
\nhave been held have further given credence to the theory. Even
\nthe United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nare complaining that the electoral laws were designed to ensure
\nthe maximum victory for Golkar.<\/p>\n
The system's flaws have made more plausible the claims that
\nelections are a mere constitutional formality, a process
\nlegitimizing Golkar's hold on power. One could certainly argue
\nthat a political system that has seen five general elections and
\nensured political stability and sustainable economic growth in
\nthe last 30 years is worth defending.<\/p>\n
But this is exactly what a general election is all about, in
\nIndonesia or elsewhere. An election is a rare chance for people
\nto express their true feelings about a situation, including their
\nfeelings about a political system or a government in power and
\nwhether they want to endorse them. The only way to measure
\npeople's support for a system or a ruling political grouping is
\ntherefore to give the people full liberty in exercising their
\nright to vote on May 29.<\/p>",
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