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)