Analyst says PPP will win more votes in 1997 election

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) should win more votes in the May elections, coming chiefly at the expense of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), political observer Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Saturday.

The PPP will get some extra votes, but not too many, Yusril said.

"The prolonged bickering over the PDI leadership will help improve the PPP's electoral chances," said the constitutional law expert of University of Indonesia.

The PPP and PDI are the two minority parties contesting the election against the mighty Golkar. In 1992, Golkar won 68 percent of the vote, against PPP's 17 and PDI's 15 percent.

Speaking after a book launch, Yusril said that in spite of its minority position, the PPP has played its political cards much more effectively than many people, even those in the PPP, have given it credit for.

Many ideas originating from the party have been adopted by the government, he said, citing improvements to the education system, measures for controlling the distribution of alcohol, and the poverty alleviation program.

"The PPP should be proud that many of its programs, offered during the last election campaign, have been appropriated by Golkar or the government," he said.

Party members should shed any inferiority complex they may have for being a minority party.

"The PPP should continue to present ideas for social and political reform," Yusril said. Reforms "will be the people's focal interest in next year's election campaigns," he added.

He suggested party leaders concentrate more on drafting programs for voters, rather than becoming obsessed with winning votes.

"Winning a general election does not always mean winning the most votes," he said.

He called for patience from party supporters, saying that PPP's time could still come in the future.

"The PPP should take a lesson from the Social Democratic Party of Germany, which rose to prominence only after about 100 years of existence," he said. "Who knows, the PPP could become the ruling party someday," he added. (imn)