Choosing a political party
Choosing a political party
From Pikiran Rakyat
The 1999 general election is only a little more than a month
away. Some political parties, both old and new ones, have held
campaign rallies ahead of the official campaign period. Although
they have clearly violated the rules of the elections, they can
always offer a pretext to dismiss such allegations.
Regarding the upcoming elections, I believe the most important
thing is to choose a political party that really suits you. Do
not choose a party because of an emotional reason or because you
are terrorized and intimidated or even because you are simply
following other people. All eligible voters must pray to God the
night before they go to the polling booths so that their choice
will be correct. Remember, one's conscience cannot be cheated.
Just look back on the 32 years of the New Order: What did we get?
This will be our yardstick for the upcoming elections.
In the present era of reform, many new political parties have
been established, but a series of riots also have broken out
across the country. I'm afraid that ordinary people like me will
become disillusioned by the reform drive because our dream for a
better future will simply remain a dream. In fact, we have all
come to an agreement that the end of the New Order regime should
usher in a better, freer, more religious and more democratic
life.
So, eligible voters must not allow themselves to be incited
by irresponsible people who do not wish to see the reform
movement successfully implemented. A reform or a change will
require a fight and a sacrifice.
If you choose a political party that most suits you, do not
ever say that it is the best party or that the chairperson is the
smartest. Things like this will trigger conflicts in our society
and our state. We must learn to be wise in politics and in
applying democracy. Civilized, cultured people who profess
religion and conduct their lives nobly must be able to respect
someone's superiority and shortcomings.
HARIS GUNAWAN
Karawang, West Java