Upheaval 'likely' in next election campaign<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers called on political parties and the
\npublic on Tuesday to prepare for the possibility of upheavals in
\nthe general election next June, and to reduce tensions during the
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
Speaking in a seminar on the new format of election
\ncampaigning for next year's poll, the experts voiced concern over
\nwhat they believed was Indonesians' political immaturity, which
\nmight lead to tension and conflicts in the next campaign.<\/p>\n
Among the speakers on Tuesday were Riswandha Imawan and
\nIchlasul Amal of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Franz
\nMagnis Suseno of the Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta,
\nDaniel Sparingga of the Airlangga University in Surabaya, Eep
\nSaefulloh Fatah of the University of Indonesia, and Rudini of the
\nInstitute of Strategic Studies of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Riswandha discussed various mistakes in past campaigns which
\nwere often marked by violence and disorder. He cited for example
\nthe mistaken concept of a campaign as electioneering among a
\nparty's own followers.<\/p>\n
\"The first mistake was that campaigning was always done only
\nbetween party figures and their supporters. What's the use of
\npersuading the party's own supporters? It's a stupid thing to
\ndo,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"What must be effected are dialogs, debates or campaigning
\nbetween parties and their supporters. A campaign's aim is to
\nallow the public to decide on their choice,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The other mistake that Riswandha cited was the use of violence
\nand hypocrisy in running an election campaign.<\/p>\n
\"Security personnel in each party used to wear military
\nattributes but now we want the Armed Forces (ABRI) to stay away
\nfrom politics. This is confusing and must be stopped,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Riswandha underlined the importance of a peaceful campaign so
\nit can bring about a democratic and natural transformation of
\npower.<\/p>\n
\"People have grown tired of violence. We have seen too much
\nbloodshed,\" Riswandha said, adding that what the public needed
\nwas a campaigning style marked with exchange of information and
\nargument.<\/p>\n
Party leaders, for instance, should make preparations so they
\ncan manage their mass followings and provide specific rules to
\nprevent chaos.<\/p>\n
\"We have to start with a movement of political enlightenment.
\nChange the old ways. Watch out for money politics and separate
\nreligions and expressions of hatred from politics. Then we hope
\nthat we will survive,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Riswandha explored the consequences of what happens when
\npeople mix politics with religion.<\/p>\n
\"Politics and religion have different rules of the game,\" he
\nsaid, describing how in the 1977 election campaign rival parties
\ntraded Koranic verses as their arguments.<\/p>\n
\"The use of religion in politics creates fanaticism and strong
\nrhetoric,\" Riswandha added.<\/p>\n
Franz Magnis Suseno said people became alienated during the
\nNew Order era and suffered from a lack of political space.<\/p>\n
\"The regime did an awful job in handling conflicts. Rather
\nthan solving conflicts, they suppressed them and acted as if
\nnothing had happened and this crushed society from within,\"
\nMagnis said.<\/p>\n
The prolonged repression resulted in a lack of knowledge of
\ndemocracy as well as misbehavior in society and politics, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
\"People are easily involved or provoked in conflicts because
\nthey do not know that in a healthy society, dialog, consensus,
\nopenness and debates or dissenting opinions are natural and
\ncommon things,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Magnis reiterated the importance of political party leaders
\nworking on the best way to reduce the possibility of chaos in
\ncampaign procedures.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesians are actually a warm and sensible people. What we
\nneed now is a good, wise, role model. People need such figures to
\novercome the confusion of this democracy euphoria,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Daniel Sparingga expressed his pessimism about the next
\nelectoral campaign. \"There's no way we're going to have a fair
\nand open election if the political elite do not show their good
\nwill.\"<\/p>\n
Ichlasul Amal warned people of the danger of money politics.
\n(edt)<\/p>",
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