City's PPP branch hopeful about votes

City's PPP branch hopeful about votes

JAKARTA (JP): Demand for freedom of choice may boost votes for
the city's chapter of the United Development Party (PPP), even in
areas traditionally "difficult" for the Party, a PPP official
said.

Djafar Badjeber, who heads the chapter's division for winning
elections, said voters now were more critical than in the 1992
election.

"Many refuse to be talked into voting for a party," Djafar, a
city councilor, said yesterday.

The clearest indication was the new demand for party
membership cards, he told The Jakarta Post.

"We're getting 20 to 70 requests a day for new cards, even
from areas we could never reach before," Djafar said, declining
to name the areas.

A PPP source said that in West Jakarta subdistricts, "people
refuse to be intimidated anymore by the door-to-door methods of
subdistrict officials, and jawara getting votes for Golkar".

Jawara are men traditionally considered skillful in fighting
and therefore informal leaders.

Election figures for 1992 show PPP lost more to Golkar in West
Jakarta areas such as the Kebon Jeruk district than in other
mayoralties.

In the Duri Kepa subdistrict, for instance, PPP got 3,838
votes compared to 16,315 for Golkar and 7,452 for the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI).

Djafar said PPP's main attraction was still its historical
roots as an Islamic party.

Another factor was the increasingly critical stance of party
chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum which appealed to young
professionals and students, Djafar said.

Recently Ismail criticized election campaign rules as unfair.

Djafar denied the PPP's optimism was due to the rift in the
PDI.

"Many are tired of pressure and want change," Djafar said.

Because of this PPP is not only relying on traditional voters,
but also on more critical voters, he said.

Separately, city council Golkar member, Zakiruddin Djamin,
said at least 200,000 PDI and PPP members had shifted to Golkar
last year.

Djafar declined to say whether the PPP could repeat the
party's 1977 triumph in Jakarta, when it got about 50 percent or
1,085,069 votes. It lost votes to Golkar in the 1982, 1987 and
1992 elections.

"We're just sure we can get many more votes," Djafar said.

In 1992 PPP got 25 percent or 1,136,100 of around five million
votes.

Djafar said many young people were more attracted to non-
governmental organizations while others were not interested in
voting at all.

But he said the number of non-voters would be small, arguing
that many still feel they should exercise their political right.

The PPP source said expressions of support have come from
civil servants not allowed to vote for PPP.

Civil servants must vote Golkar because they are members of
Korpri, the civil servants corps organization. Although this rule
is still under debate. Korpri, ABRI and several other mass
organizations are part of Golkar. (anr)