Voters hope for strong leader, survey finds<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The majority of people eligible to vote in next year's general
\nelection here are politically alienated, intolerant and hoping
\nfor a strong leader like former dictator president Soeharto,
\naccording to a survey.<\/p>\n
At least 65 percent of adults surveyed from June through until
\nAugust 2003, said that they did not like politics at all because
\nof widespread political corruption and poor political education.<\/p>\n
People's interest in politics, however, had improved from 28
\npercent in 1999 to 38 percent in 2003.<\/p>\n
The survey, titled Democracy in Indonesia: A Survey of the
\nIndonesian Electorate 2003, was conducted through direct
\ninterviews and group discussions involving 1,056 eligible voters
\nin 32 provinces, with a margin of error of around 3 percent.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will hold a legislative election in April 2004 and
\nfirst-ever direct presidential election in July. At least 24
\npolitical parties have been declared eligible to contest the
\nelections, down from 48 in 1999.<\/p>\n
The survey, which was conducted by Charney Research of New
\nYork and AC Nielsen Indonesia and commissioned by The Asia
\nFoundation, suggested that the majority of voters were intolerant
\nof political parties.<\/p>\n
On the question: \"Do you think that all political parties,
\neven the ones most people do not like, should be allowed to hold
\nmeetings in your area?,\" the percentage of voters who answered
\n\"yes\" eroded from 70 percent in 1999 to 57 percent this year.<\/p>\n
The decline reflected continued concern about violence and
\npolitical conflicts.<\/p>\n
The survey said that older and illiterate voters, who were
\nmostly living in rural areas, were less tolerant than younger and
\neducated voters.<\/p>\n
Last month, supporters of the ruling Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) were involved in a clash with
\nsupporters of the Golkar Party in Buleleng, Bali. Two Golkar
\nParty supporters were killed in the clash in the province
\nconsidered to be a stronghold of President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri's PDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
The survey indicated that voters were intolerant of minority
\ngroups also, 40 percent of the electorate were willing to vote
\nfor women, 8 percent would vote for Chinese candidates and only 6
\npercent would vote for candidates who were former political
\nprisoners.<\/p>\n
The Majority of the voters (66 percent) opposed the ban on
\nformer members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) from
\nrunning for the House of Representatives, while 18 percent were
\nstill in favor of the ban.<\/p>\n
Former PKI members have been banned from exercising their
\nvoting rights since the 1960s, following a failed coup d'etat the
\ngovernment blamed on PKI.<\/p>\n
And four years into the so-called reform movement, the survey
\nrevealed that the majority of Indonesians favored a decisive
\ngovernment that could restore order, even at the cost of freedom.<\/p>\n
It also said that 53 percent of the voters preferred a strong
\nleader like former authoritarian Soeharto, even if rights and
\nfreedom were reduced.<\/p>\n
About 58 percent of those who supported a stronger government
\nat the expense of rights and freedom had an educational
\nbackground of high school or more, the survey said.<\/p>\n
Many earlier surveys showed that people's expectations of the
\nreturn of \"a normal situation\" -- like what happened during
\nSoeharto's regime when security and prices could be stabilized --
\nhad failed to be realized, which was blamed on the current
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The recent nomination of Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti
\n\"Tutut\" Hardiyanti Rukmana by the Concern for The Nation
\nFunctional Party could revive the New Order and is said to be
\naimed at responding to the people's expectations.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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