Catholics encouraged to vote in June 7 polls
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)