Catholics welcome their bishop's election message

Catholics welcome their bishop's election message

JAKARTA (JP): The Bishops Council of Indonesia's recent
statement encouraging Indonesian Catholics to go to the polls on
May 29 and exercise their political right has received a warm
welcome from devotees.

Some of the Catholics interviewed by The Jakarta Post said
they did not feel obliged to support any particular party because
the statement also said they were free to vote as they wished.

Djoko Rahwidiharto, a State Secretariat employee, said the
message served as a morale booster for him to go to the polling
booth near his home in Cidodol, South Jakarta.

A student at a private university, Willy, said he believed the
council just wanted the Catholic community to know that they had
the right to either vote or not vote.

"I will use the right not because I'm afraid of pressures but
because I have a moral responsibility to vote as the bishops
say," the 23-year-old student said yesterday.

The message signed by council chairman Cardinal Julius
Darmaatmaja was read out in churches all over the country during
masses on Feb. 23.

It said Catholics would not be sinning if they did not
exercise their right to vote if they felt no political group
would channel their aspirations. In situations where they had to
vote, they should do so and consider voting as an option with the
least disadvantage, the council suggested.

The election, the sixth held since 1971, is scheduled for May
29. The dominant political group Golkar is competing against the
United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party for
425 seats in the House of Representatives.

A housewife who asked for anonymity admitted the message would
inspire her to go to the polling booth, although she said she
planned to punch for all three political groups, a decision which
would invalidate her ballot.

"I'm not comfortable with any of the three contestants," she
said. "Nothing has changed (all these years) even though I took
part in the last two elections. Neither will I expect any changes
to occur after the upcoming election.

"Which one should I vote for if I don't have any
expectations?" the 37-year-old mother said.

Ignatius Loyolla Djangoen, an employee of a state-owned bank,
saw the message as a public reminder of the existing law which
guarantees the freedom to vote and the absence of sanctions
against those who refuse to do so.

"The bishops council calls on us to think seriously before we
decide on our choice," he said.

Djoko, a 30-year-old Catholic, said that the message had given
him legitimacy to abide by the norms shared by the institution he
affiliates to. As an employee of a state agency, Djoko is a
member of the Civil Servants Corps and therefore obligated to
vote for Golkar.

"I will vote voluntarily because I have assessed the risks.
It's fine to suffer a little bit of pain for the sake of a lot
more gain. By taking part in the general election I can at least
help my community survive and grow."

Djangoen agreed with Djoko, expressing the belief that the
bishops council's message was a reminder that as Indonesian
citizens, the Catholic community remains free to vote or not.

"But when it comes to moral responsibility, I would feel
guilty about not doing anything once in five years.

"I exercised my right in the last three elections. It was
worth doing because I am free to work and practice my beliefs,"
said Djangoen, a leader of a Catholic neighborhood in Ciledug,
South Jakarta.

Willy, a Catholic youth organization activist, denied the
bishops council's call had encouraged him to boycott the
election. He admitted, however, that it would be difficult for
him to choose between the three political groups. (amd)