Assembly to maintain floating mass policy

Assembly to maintain floating mass policy

JAKARTA (JP): The minority Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI)
campaign for the revocation of the floating mass policy, long
accused of curtailing political parties' outreach opportunities
while giving undue clout to the dominant Golkar, looks set to be
ditched.

The People's Consultative Assembly, pressed for time as
deadlines loom, will probably agree to introduce some
improvements in the general election rules if PDI agrees to drop
its campaign against the floating mass policy.

Soedarjanto, a PDI Assembly member, said the bargaining was
prompted by the chairman of the Assembly's ad hoc committee in
charge of state policy guidelines, R. Hartono.

It was Hartono who suggested that the five factions in the
Assembly discuss the last two motions on the floating mass policy
and election rules simultaneously.

Both motions are sponsored by PDI and its fellow minority
faction, the United Development Party (PPP), but opposed by the
Golkar faction and its traditional allies -- the Armed Forces and
regional representatives factions.

None of the six motions lodged by the two minority factions
have received the Assembly's approval since deliberations started
in late October last year.

The committee members will have to finish deliberation
tomorrow to give themselves a week to prepare their reports.
These will be delivered in a plenary session on Jan. 23.

Soedarjanto said PDI, as well as PPP, was considering pushing
for election rule changes rather than the revocation of the
floating mass policy.

"Our lasting goal is to establish fair general elections which
must include transparent registration of voters and ballot
counting," Soedarjanto said.

The government enacted in 1985 the floating mass policy which
bars political organizations from conducting any political
activities at the village level.

Golkar has repeatedly defended the policy, saying that it
maintains both harmony among villagers and national stability.

PPP legislator Muhammad Buang said Golkar had in principle
agreed to the minority factions' demand for greater participation
of poll contestants in the general election process, from the
registration of voters through to ballot counting.

He said he had drawn up a draft of improved general election
rules and expected it to be approved in the remaining two days of
deliberation. (amd)