Catholics encouraged to vote in June 7 polls
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) has called on Catholics to exercise their voting rights in the June 7 polls, but is urging them not to vote for parties which are against the reform movement or which have a bad track record.
In its Easter message signed by chairman Josef Suwatan and secretary-general Johannes Hadiwikarta, KWI said the elections were a crucial stage that would enable sweeping reform to continue.
The message was in stark contrast to that issued prior to the 1997 polls, in which then KWI chairman Julius Kardinal Darmaatmadja said that opting not to vote was not a sin.
KWI's latest message was full of high hopes -- apparently due to political changes that peaked with Soeharto's resignation after 32 years in power in May last year -- with the bishops stressing that people should exercise their right to vote for the sake of the country's future and safety.
"The elections will return the country's sovereignty, which has long been abused by absolute power holders, to the people," the statement said.
Responsibility
KWI suggested that the Catholic community exercise its rights "with responsibility" while keeping an eye out for cheats and the use of money politics, abuse of state facilities and power.
"Pick your choices based on your conscience and historic judgment, and knowledge of a party's orientation, quality, leaders and platform.
"Honestly, we think that parties which do not sincerely support the reform movement due to their group interests and past burdens of causing disasters and misery to the nation do not deserve your vote," KWI said,
It did not specify to which parties it was referring.
A similar message was also issued by East Java dioceses and the Protestant church. Yosef Eko Budi Susilo, spokesman for the Catholic and Protestant churches, said the joint statement was aimed at encouraging Christians to choose only parties which struggle for, among other things, democracy, human rights, equality and religious and ethnic tolerance.
Eko said the statement was issued after consultation with political scientists Ramlan Surbakti of Surabaya's Airlangga University, Muhammad A.S. Hikam of the National Institute of Sciences and Cornelis Lay of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University.
In its message, KWI also criticized government officials for bad behavior and attitudes unfitting for accountable state administrators.
"(They think) as if nothing serious and urgent happens, except their verbal acknowledgement which is not reflected in their actions.
"This has confused and sparked fear and suspicion among people and caused a loss of public trust in the government," it said.
It also said the reform movement had been reduced to mere propaganda of slogans and had become a political tool to lure the public. (nur/amd)