A fair general election essential

A fair general election essential

The general election which will be held around the middle of
May next year won't be like any other so far held in the country.
It certainly won't be like any of the six we experienced under
the New Order regime.

The general election that will be held in 1999 must be one
that conforms to the objectives and demands of the reform
movement -- that is to say, it must be truly democratic, honest
and fair.

This shift in quality and posture is of central and decisive
importance. Frankly, we must ask ourselves whether everyone
concerned is aware of the importance of ensuring that the
election is truly democratic.

The new law on general elections must ensure that the old
restrictions and political practices -- which Dr. Riswandha
Imawan from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta referred to as
"monolithic, monopolitical and exclusive" -- no longer exist. The
entire process must be open and fair.

A democratic general election must grant an equal opportunity
to all participating political organizations. But what does this
entail?

Essentially, guaranteeing an equal opportunity for all
participants concerns matters of financing and the distribution
of financial resources, providing facilities to ensure mobility
during the campaigning period and ensuring a synchronous start to
campaigning. Disregarding these essentials could give rise to the
practice of money politics and a feeling of injustice.

Cambodia is an example of what might happen if this is allowed
to take place in Indonesia. The vote may not bring either a sense
of relief or political legitimacy. Rather, it could prolong
discord, disorder and conflict.

The conditions that we are currently experiencing in Indonesia
call for the staging of a general election that is honest and
fair and fulfills the essentials of a democratic election.

-- Kompas, Jakarta