Civil servants free to vote for any party
Civil servants free to vote for any party
JAKARTA (JP): Government employees are free to vote according to their personal choice in general elections, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. said yesterday.
Speaking at the commemoration of the 24th anniversary of the Corps of Indonesian Civil Servants (Korpri), Yogie, who is also chairman of the organization's board of patrons, said every Korpri member has a legally protected right to voice their political aspiration during general elections.
Yogie, however, reminded members to carefully consider their options. He said all Korpri members should watch out for a possible heating up of the situation in the run-up to the 1997 general elections.
"Think of the future and don't be too easily influenced by passing situations that may look glamorous," he said.
He called on Korpri members to remain loyal, both in words or deeds, to the organization's goals and Sapta Prasetya (the seven pledges). The members should keep this loyalty also during the general elections, he said.
The seven pledges require all Korpri members to commit themselves to the welfare of the people, to the state ideology Pancasila, and to the 1945 Constitution.
In September, Yogie was involved in a public controversy over the issue of civil servants' freedom to vote in the general elections. While acknowledging that there is no regulation requiring government employees to vote for the ruling political group, Golkar, Yogie had said that they should so.
Yesterday, however, Yogie said that the most important is that the general election is held peacefully, smoothly, and on time.
Yogie also told the civil servants to set a good example to the public by becoming "pioneers" of the people, firm in their allegiance to the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.
Korpri has joined the ruling political organization Golkar's election machinery in past elections, sending its members to Golkar election rallies nationwide.
At a congress in 1994, Korpri reiterated its support for Golkar as stated in the organization's Social, Political, and Legal Guidelines.
Korpri is one of the three main components in the make up of the Golkar leadership. The other two are the Armed Forces (ABRI) and a grouping of mass organizations.
Korpri, which all civil servants must join, has more than six million members, including two million people working at state companies.
The two minority political parties, the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party, have long complained about the regulation requiring government employees to vote for Golkar.
Yesterday, Yogie called on Korpri members not to consider the organization as a tool of the government to control every aspect of their lives.
"The corps should be considered as an extra-official organization, within which the members can develop themselves," he said.
He also called on the corps' members not to chase money and status in their activities as government employees.
"The nation, in the face of rapid global development, needs the strong commitment of the corps' members to society," he said. (imn)