Election criteria

Election criteria

Luber is a Javanese word denoting the spilling-over of liquid,
such as water, or milk, caused by filling a container up to the
very brim. In a way the word has a positive connotation, showing
that the liquid is in great abundance.

In the political parlance of Indonesia, where people seem to
have acquired thriftiness with words (hopefully reflecting a
growing consciousness of the value of time), 'luber' is the popular
acronym for 'langsung' (direct), 'umum' (general), 'bebas' (free) and
'rahasia' (secret).

Under that "magic" acronym, there seems to be a hidden wish
that the results of elections to the legislature will bring well-
being and prosperity to the people. For the benefit of those who
might be too busy to memorize the four words (they are
pronounceable, though) of the acronym, here are their meanings in
a nutshell. Direct: the act of casting a ballot by the voter
himself; general: for all citizens who are not deprived of the
right by the law; free: from coercion, direct or indirect,
physical or non-physical and secret: only the voter himself has
knowledge of the political party he votes for.

Of late, however, with the general election coming up next
year, some people, or to be more exact, some politicians, have
come to realize, much belatedly, that the acronym stands only for
the act of casting ballots. They realize that another acronym has
been conspicuously lacking, namely: 'jurdil', standing for 'jujur'
and 'adil', or fair and just. They have stressed that the two
principles should be incorporated in the existing election law.
Accordingly, all parties concerned, namely voters, the bodies
organizing the election, the government and the three political
organizations should work for the achievement of a just and fair
general election.

Necessary criteria should obviously be established upon which
a general election can be judged just and fair. It is clear
beyond doubt that the four words represented by the acronym are
among, but not the only criteria. A fair and just election is
relative, however. One main prerequisite is that people should
have an adequate degree of literacy and free access to
information. This obviously is only one of the conditions for
general elections to proceed in a just, fair and orderly manner.

International media usually use the two words just and fair,
or otherwise, to describe general elections in developing
countries. In western democratic countries, just and fair
elections are taken for granted; the media quite rarely, if ever,
bothers to make a judgment on their fairness and justness. The
reasons for this are many and already well-known. One of them
seems to be the fact that infractions of election laws and
regulations could be considered criminal acts.

Can we take just and fair elections for granted in Indonesia?
Certainly anyone can answer that for himself. As citizens of a
democratic country, we all are committed to just and fair
elections. No sophistry, however "cunning", could convince the
people that the two principles are useless and redundant. Not a
single Indonesian would oppose a just and fair election.

Whether the law on elections will eventually be revised to
include the two principles or not, it is our cherished common
wish to see that next year's election be judged fair and just.
To the question of whether the incorporation of these words into
the existing law is imperative, the answer should be left to
everyone's conscience. Politics has its own conscience.

In conclusion, two points could be raised. Why should voting
be secret? It seems that the principles of secrecy and freedom
are contradictory. The answer would be that secrecy would keep
the voting free. Well, but would the principle implied assume
that a voter should be aware that voting might have unpleasant
consequences for him? Why should he be afraid? After all, the
three political organizations are legally founded and they are
legal participants and partners in the "feast of democracy",
another term for general elections in the local political
parlance.

Another point we must always keep in mind is that general
elections, whether national or regional, concern the political
rights of Indonesian citizens.

SOEGIO SOSROSOEMARTO

Jakarta